Short-tailed opossum

Genus of mammals

Short-tailed opossums

Gray short-tailed opossum (Monodelphis domestica)
Scientific classification
Domain:  | Eukaryota
Kingdom:  | Animalia
Phylum:  | Chordata
Class:  | Mammalia
Infraclass:  | Marsupialia
Order:  | Didelphimorphia
Family:  | Didelphidae
Tribe:  | Marmosini
Genus:  | Monodelphis
Burnett, 1830
Type species
Monodelphis brachyura

Burnett, 1830
(= Didelphis brevicaudata Erxleben, 1777)

Species

See text

Synonyms

* Peramys Lesson 1842
* Monodelphiops Matschie 1916
* Hemiurus Gervais 1855
* Minuania Cabrera 1919

Monodelphis is a genus of marsupials in the family Didelphidae, commonly referred to as short-tailed opossums. They are found throughout South America. As of January 2019[update], the most recently described species is M. vossi.[1][2]

## Species

[edit]

* Sepia short-tailed opossum (Monodelphis adusta (Thomas 1897) Cabrera & Yepes 1940)
* Northern three-striped opossum (Monodelphis americana (Müller 1776) Pohle 1927)
* Arlindo's short-tailed opossum (Monodelphis arlindoi Pavan, Rossi & Schneider 2012)
* Northern red-sided opossum (Monodelphis brevicaudata (Erxleben 1777) Thomas 1920c)
* Yellow-sided opossum (Monodelphis dimidiata (Wagner 1847) Thomas 1924c)
* Gray short-tailed opossum (Monodelphis domestica (Wagner 1842) Pohle 1927)
* Emilia's short-tailed opossum (Monodelphis emiliae (Thomas 1912) Thomas 1920c)
* Gardner's short-tailed opossum (Monodelphis gardneri Solari et al. 2012)
* Amazonian red-sided opossum (Monodelphis glirina (Wagner 1842))
* Handley's short-tailed opossum (Monodelphis handleyi Solari 2007)
* Ihering's three-striped opossum (Monodelphis iheringi (Thomas 1888) Vieira 1950)
* Pygmy short-tailed opossum (Monodelphis kunsi Pine 1975)
* Marajó short-tailed opossum (Monodelphis maraxina Thomas 1923)
* Osgood's short-tailed opossum (Monodelphis osgoodi (Doutt 1938) Handley 1966c)
* Hooded red-sided opossum (Monodelphis palliolata (Osgood 1914) Pittier & Tate 1932)
* Peruvian short-tailed opossum (Monodelphis peruviana (Osgood 1913) Cabrera & Yepes 1940)
* Long-nosed short-tailed opossum (Monodelphis pinocchio Pavan 2015)
* Reig's opossum (Monodelphis reigi Lew & Pérez-Hernández 2004)
* Ronald's opossum (Monodelphis ronaldi Solari 2004)
* Chestnut-striped opossum (Monodelphis rubida (Thomas 1899) Pine & Handley 1984)
* Saci short-tailed opossum (Monodelphis saci Pavan, Mendes-Oliveira & Voss 2017)
* Santa Rosa short-tailed opossum (Monodelphis sanctaerosae Voss, Pine & Solari 2012)
* Long-nosed short-tailed opossum (Monodelphis scalops (Thomas 1888) Pohle 1927)
* Southern red-sided opossum (Monodelphis sorex (Hensel 1872) Cabrera & Yepes 1940)
* Southern three-striped opossum (Monodelphis theresa Thomas 1921)
* Touan short-tailed opossum (Monodelphis touan (Shaw 1800) Cabrera & Yepes 1940)
* Red three-striped opossum (Monodelphis umbristriata (Miranda-Ribeiro 1936) Vieira 1955)
* One-striped opossum (Monodelphis unistriata (Wagner 1842) Cabrera & Yepes 1940)
* Voss's short-tailed opossum (Monodelphis vossi Pavan 2019)[1]

Species limits are based on fur coloration with additional details coming from differences in the skull and teeth.[3]

## Behavior

[edit]

Short-tailed opossums show a rich repertoire of stereotyped behaviors.[4] Postures, locomotion, and grooming behaviours are similar to those of other didelphids. They also can carry nest materials using their short prehensile tails.[4]

Short-tailed opossums show specialized behaviors for dealing with challenging prey.[4] For example, attacks and initial consumption of large insects are initially directed to the insect's head, hairy caterpillars are scratched to get rid of the urticating hairs, and mice are attacked using a throat clamp technique.[4]

## Chemosensory communication

[edit]

Short-tailed opossums have been found to use nuzzling in chemosensory and exploratory behavior for recognizing individuals of the same species. In Monodelphis domestica, nuzzling and snout-rubbing transforms odor from dry components like glandular secretions, feces, and urine, into moist naso-oral secretions that reach the vomeronasal organ to be processed chemically. Typically, this behavior is used to recognize individual familiar or new scents from the same species, with males typically being drawn to more novel scents from the same species.[5]

## Reproduction

[edit]

The genus Monodelphis is marsupial; they are born under-developed and then mature further in the mother's pouch. In Monodelphis, the young first come off the teat in 12 days, whereas this occurs at 48 days in the related genus Didelphis. Most of the events in this process occur about 2–4 weeks later in Didelphis than in Monodelphis. This may be related to the shorter longevity of the species of Monodelphis compared to other marsupials who nurse for a longer period.[6] M. dimidiata is unusual in that it is a semelparous species, something rarely seen in mammals, being found predominantly in smaller didelphids and dasyurids.

## References

[edit]

1. ^ a b Pavan, Silvia E (11 January 2019). "A revision of the Monodelphis glirina group (Didelphidae: Marmosini), with a description of a new species from Roraima, Brazil". Journal of Mammalogy. 100 (1): 103–117\. doi:10.1093/jmammal/gyy165.
2. ^ Amador, Lucila I.; Giannini, Norberto P. (1 September 2016). "Phylogeny and evolution of body mass in didelphid marsupials (Marsupialia: Didelphimorphia: Didelphidae)". Organisms Diversity & Evolution. 16 (3): 641–657\. Bibcode:2016ODivE..16..641A. doi:10.1007/s13127-015-0259-x. hdl:11336/50679. S2CID 17393886.
3. ^ Solari, Sergio (2010). "A molecular perspective on the diversification of short-tailed opossums (Monodelphis: Didelphidae)". Mastozoología Neotropical. 17 (2): 317–333.
4. ^ a b c d González, E.M.; Claramunt, S. (2000). "Behaviors of captive short-tailed opossums, Monodelphis dimidiata (Wagner, 1847) (Didelphimorphia, Didelphidae)". Mammalia. 64 (3): 271–286\. doi:10.1515/mamm.2000.64.3.271.
5. ^ Poran, Naomie S.; Tripoli, Robin; Halpern, Mimi (1993). "Nuzzling in the gray short-tailed opossum II: Familiarity and individual recognition". Physiology & Behavior. 53 (5): 969–973\. doi:10.1016/0031-9384(93)90276-l. ISSN 0031-9384. PMID 8511214. S2CID 38881374.
6. ^ Smith, Kathleen K.; van Nievelt, Alexander F. H. (31 January 1997). "Comparative Rates of Development in Monodelphis and Didelphis". Science. 275 (5300): 683–684\. doi:10.1126/science.275.5300.683. PMID 9005857. S2CID 34138665.

## Further reading

[edit]

* Castilheiro, Welvis Felipe Fernandes; Santos Filho, Manoel dos (June 2013). "Diet of Monodelphis glirina (Mammalia: Didelphidae) in forest fragments in southern Amazon". Zoologia (Curitiba). 30 (3): 249–254\. doi:10.1590/S1984-46702013000300001.
* Know Your Short-tailed Opossum: Monodelphis
* Gardner, A.L. (2005). "Order Didelphimorphia". In Wilson, D.E.; Reeder, D.M (eds.). Mammal Species of the World: A Taxonomic and Geographic Reference (3rd ed.). Johns Hopkins University Press. pp. 13–16\. ISBN 978-0-8018-8221-0. OCLC 62265494.

Portals:

* Biology
* Animals
* Mammals
* South America

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Extant Didelphimorphia (opossums) species

* Kingdom Animalia
* Phylum Chordata
* Class Mammalia
* Infraclass Marsupialia

Subfamily Caluromyinae

| Caluromys
(Woolly opossums)|

Subgenus Caluromys
Bare-tailed woolly opossum (C. philander)

Subgenus Mallodelphys
Derby's woolly opossum (C. derbianus)
Brown-eared woolly opossum (C. lanatus)

|

Caluromysiops|

* Black-shouldered opossum (C. irrupta)

Subfamily Didelphinae (cont. below)

| Chacodelphys|

* Chacoan pygmy opossum (C. formosa)

|

Chironectes|

* Water opossum (C. minimus)

Cryptonanus|

* Agricola's gracile opossum (C. agricolai)
* Chacoan gracile opossum (C. chacoensis)
* Guahiba gracile opossum (C. guahybae)
* Unduavi gracile opossum (C. unduaviensis)

Didelphis
(Large American
opossums)|

* White-eared opossum (D. albiventris)
* Big-eared opossum (D. aurita)
* Guianan white-eared opossum (D. imperfecta)
* Common opossum (D. marsupialis)
* Andean white-eared opossum (D. pernigra)
* Virginia opossum (D. virginiana)

Gracilinanus|

* Aceramarca gracile opossum (G. aceramarcae)
* Agile gracile opossum (G. agilis)
* Wood sprite gracile opossum (G. dryas)
* Emilia's gracile opossum (G. emilae)
* Northern gracile opossum (G. marica)
* Brazilian gracile opossum (G. microtarsus)
* Peruvian opossum (G. peruanus)

Lestodelphys|

* Patagonian opossum (L. halli)

Lutreolina
(Little water opossums)|

* Big lutrine opossum (L. crassicaudata)
* Massoia's lutrine opossum (L. massoia))

Marmosa
(Mouse opossums)|

* Adler's mouse opossum (M. adleri)
* Alston's mouse opossum (M. alstoni)
* Heavy-browed mouse opossum (M. andersoni)
* White-bellied woolly mouse opossum (M. constantiae)
* Woolly mouse opossum (M. demerarae)
* Northwestern mouse opossum (M. germana)
* Isthmian mouse opossum (M. isthmica)
* Jansa's woolly mouse opossum (M. jansae)
* Rufous mouse opossum (M. lepida)
* Quechuan mouse opossum (M. macrotarsus)
* Mexican mouse opossum (M. mexicana)
* Linnaeus's mouse opossum (M. murina)
* Nicaraguan woolly mouse opossum (M. nicaraguae)
* Tate's woolly mouse opossum (M. paraguayanus)
* Peruvian woolly mouse opossum (M. parda)
* Anthony's woolly mouse opossum (M. perplexa)
* Little woolly mouse opossum (M. phaeus)
* Bolivian woolly mouse opossum (M. rapposa)
* Bare-tailed woolly mouse opossum (M. regina)
* Robinson's mouse opossum (M. robinsoni)
* Red mouse opossum (M. rubra)
* Bare-tailed woolly mouse opossum (M. rutteri)
* Simons's woolly mouse opossum (M. simonsi)
* Tyler's mouse opossum (M. tyleriana)
* Waterhouse's mouse opossum (M. waterhousei)
* Guajira mouse opossum (M. xerophila)
* Zeledon's mouse opossum (M. zeledoni)

Marmosops
(Slender opossums)|

* Bishop's slender opossum (M. bishopi)
* Carr's slender opossum (M. carri)
* Cauca slender opossum (M. caucae)
* Cordillera slender opossum (M. chucha)
* Narrow-headed slender opossum (M. cracens)
* Creighton's slender opossum (M. creightoni)
* Dorothy's slender opossum (M. dorothea)
* Dusky slender opossum (M. fuscatus)
* Handley's slender opossum (M. handleyi)
* Tschudi's slender opossum (M. impavidus)
* Gray slender opossum (M. incanus)
* Panama slender opossum (M. invictus)
* Junin slender opossum (M. juninensis)
* Rio Magdalena slender opossum (M. magdalenae)
* Silva's slender opossum (M. marina)
* Neblina slender opossum (M. neblina)
* White-bellied slender opossum (M. noctivagus)
* Spectacled slender opossum (M. ocellatus)
* Ojasti's slender opossum (M. ojastii)
* Pantepui slender opossum (M. pakaraimae)
* Delicate slender opossum (M. parvidens)
* Brazilian slender opossum (M. paulensis)
* Pinheiro's slender opossum (M. pinheiroi)
* Soini's slender opossum (M. soinii)
* Woodall's slender opossum (M. woodalli)

Subfamily Didelphinae (cont. above)

| Metachirus
(Brown four-
eyed opossums)|

* Aritana's brown four-eyed opossum (M. aritanai)
* Common brown four-eyed opossum (M. myosuros)
* Guianan brown four-eyed opossum (M. nudicaudatus)

|

Monodelphis
(Short-tailed
opossums)|

* Sepia short-tailed opossum (M. adusta)
* Northern three-striped opossum (M. americana)
* Arlindo's short-tailed opossum (M. arlindoi)
* Northern red-sided opossum (M. brevicaudata)
* Yellow-sided opossum (M. dimidiata)
* Gray short-tailed opossum (M. domestica)
* Emilia's short-tailed opossum (M. emiliae)
* Gardner's short-tailed opossum (M. gardneri)
* Amazonian red-sided opossum (M. glirina)
* Handley's short-tailed opossum (M. handleyi)
* Ihering's three-striped opossum (M. iheringi)
* Pygmy short-tailed opossum (M. kunsi)
* Osgood's short-tailed opossum (M. osgoodi)
* Hooded red-sided opossum (M. palliolata)
* Peruvian short-tailed opossum (M. peruviana)
* Long-nosed short-tailed opossum (M. pinocchio)
* Reig's opossum (M. reigi)
* Ronald's opossum (M. ronaldi)
* Saci short-tailed opossum (M. saci)
* Santa Rosa short-tailed opossum (M. sanctaerosae)
* Long-nosed short-tailed opossum (M. scalops)
* Touan short-tailed opossum (M. touan)
* One-striped opossum (M. unistriata)
* Voss's short-tailed opossum (M. vossi)

Philander
(Gray & black four-
eyed opossums)|

* Anderson's four-eyed opossum (P. andersoni)
* Common four-eyed opossum (P. canus)
* Deltaic four-eyed opossum (P. deltae)
* Southeastern four-eyed opossum (P. frenatus)
* McIlhenny's four-eyed opossum (P. mcilhennyi)
* Dark four-eyed opossum (P. melanurus)
* Black four-eyed opossum (P. nigratus)
* Mondolfi's four-eyed opossum (P. mondolfii)
* Olrog's four-eyed opossum (P. olrogi)
* Gray four-eyed opossum (P. opossum)
* Pebas four-eyed opossum (P. pebas)
* Southern four-eyed opossum (P. quica)
* Northern four-eyed opossum (P. vossi)

Thylamys
(Fat-tailed mouse
opossums)|

* Cinderella fat-tailed mouse opossum (T. cinderella)
* Elegant fat-tailed mouse opossum (T. elegans)
* Karimi's fat-tailed mouse opossum (T. karimii)
* Paraguayan fat-tailed mouse opossum (T. macrurus)
* White-bellied fat-tailed mouse opossum (T. pallidior)
* Common fat-tailed mouse opossum (T. pusillus)
* Argentine fat-tailed mouse opossum (T. sponsorius)
* Tate's fat-tailed mouse opossum (T. tatei)
* Dwarf fat-tailed mouse opossum (T. velutinus)
* Buff-bellied fat-tailed mouse opossum (T. venustus)

Tlacuatzin
(Grey mouse
opossums)|

* Balsas gray mouse opossum (T. balsasensis)
* Tehuantepec gray mouse opossum (T. canescens)
* Yucatan gray mouse opossum (T. gaumeri)
* Tres Marias gray mouse opossum (T. insularis)
* Northern gray mouse opossum (T. sinaloae)

Subfamily Glironiinae

| Glironia|

* Bushy-tailed opossum (G. venusta)

|

Subfamily Hyladelphinae

| Hyladelphys|

* Kalinowski's mouse opossum (H. kalinowskii)

|

Taxon identifiers

Monodelphis|

* Wikidata: Q1425981
* Wikispecies: Monodelphis
* ADW: Monodelphis
* BioLib: 33268
* BOLD: 27371
* CoL: 63DD9
* EoL: 38827
* GBIF: 7967492
* iNaturalist: 42562
* IRMNG: 1325350
* ITIS: 552396
* MSW: 10400133
* NCBI: 13615
* Open Tree of Life: 122359
* Paleobiology Database: 39976

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