#didelphidae

New Species of Marsupial Discovered in Peru

Scientists have identified a new species in the marsupial genus Marmosa from a single specimen collected on the eastern side of the Andes in San Martín department, Peru.

Marmosa is a genus of relatively small Neotropical mammals in the family Didelphidae. It is one of three genera that are known as mouse opossums; the others are Thylamys and Tlacuatzin. The new Marmosa species was discovered at an altitude where other species of this genus are not typically found. Named Marmosa chachapoya, the animal has reddish-brown fur, distinct mask-like markings on its face. It has a total length — including body and tail — of up to 25 cm (10 inches); the body alone measures only about 10 cm (4 inches)...

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Bushy-Tailed Opossum

Alston's Woolly Mouse Opossum Marmosa alstoni

A pouchless marsupial found from Belize to Colombia. The main components of its diet are insects and fruits, but it may also eat small rodents, lizards, and bird eggs.

Not all marsupials have a pouch for their young! Meet Gardner's short-tailed possum; a member of the marsupial family that looks more like a mouse than a possum. This species was only formally recognized in 2013, and was characterized as a member of the Didelphidae family due to its separated hind toes, which are characteristic of possums. However, Monodelphis gardneri lacks a reproductive pouch, and it is likely that its young are much more developed at birth than other marsipual joeys.

(Image: A Gardener's short-tailed possum (Monodelphis gardneri) by Fabrice Schmitt)