Brown four-eyed opossum

Brown four-eyed opossum[1]
Conservation status
Least Concern  (IUCN 3.1)[2]
Scientific classification
Domain:	Eukaryota
Kingdom:	Animalia
Phylum:	Chordata
Class:	Mammalia
Infraclass:	Marsupialia
Order:	Didelphimorphia
Family:	Didelphidae
Subfamily:	Didelphinae
Tribe:	Metachirini Reig et al., 1987
Genus:	Metachirus Burmeister, 1854
Species:	M. nudicaudatus
Binomial name
Metachirus nudicaudatus (É. Geoffroy, 1803)
Brown four-eyed opossum range

The brown four-eyed opossum (Metachirus nudicaudatus) is a pouchless marsupial^[3] of the family Didelphidae. It is found in different forested habitats of Central and South America,^[2] from Nicaragua to Brazil and northern Argentina,^[1] including southeastern Colombia, Paraguay and eastern Peru and Bolivia, at elevations from sea level to 1,500 m (4,900 ft).^[2] It is the only recognized species in the genus Metachirus,^[1] but molecular phylogenetics studies suggest that it should probably be split into several species.^[2] Population densities are usually low, and it is uncommon in parts of Central America.^[2] A density of 25.6/km² (66/sq mi) was reported near Manaus, Brazil.^[3] Its karyotype has 2n = 14 and FN = 24.^[3]

It is a nocturnal, solitary,^[2] strongly terrestrial and omnivorous animal, feeding on fruits, small vertebrates and invertebrates.^[3]

The brown four-eyed opossum builds nests made of leaves and twigs in tree branches or under rocks and logs.^[4] It is seasonally polyestrous and the litter size varies from one to nine.^[3]

The white spot over each eye inspired the common name of "four-eyed opossum". Its scaly tail is longer than its body.^[3]

The opossum is mostly insectivorous,^[5] though it also consumes some types of fruit seeds, small vertebrates like birds and reptiles and invertebrates like crayfish and snails.^[6] The brown four-eyed opossum is a host of the acanthocephalan intestinal parasite Gigantorhynchus ortizi.^[7]

References

1. 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. p. 12. ISBN 978-0-8018-8221-0. OCLC 62265494.
2. Brito, D.; Astúa, D.; Lew, D.; de la Sancha, N. (2021). "Metachirus nudicaudatus". IUCN Red List of Threatened Species. 2021: e.T40509A197311536. doi:10.2305/IUCN.UK.2021-1.RLTS.T40509A197311536.en. Retrieved 11 November 2021.
3. Eisenberg, John F.; Redford, Kent H. (May 15, 2000). Mammals of the Neotropics, Volume 3: The Central Neotropics: Ecuador, Peru, Bolivia, Brazil. University of Chicago Press. pp. 77–78. ISBN 978-0-226-19542-1. OCLC 493329394.
4. Bies, L. (2002). "Metachirus nudicaudatus". Animal Diversity Web. University of Michigan Museum of Zoology. Retrieved 2012-01-13.
5. Cáceres, N.C. (2004). "Diet of three didelphid marsupials (Mammalia, Didelphimorphia) in southern Brazil". Mammalian Biology. 69 (6): 430–433. Bibcode:2004MamBi..69..430C. doi:10.1078/1616-5047-00165.
6. Gardner, Alfred L.; Dagosto, Marian (2007). "Tribe Metachirini Reig, Kirsch, and Marshall, 1985". In Gardner, Alfred L. (ed.). Mammals of South America. Vol. 1. University of Chicago Press. pp. 35–39. ISBN 978-0-226-28240-4.
7. Nascimento Gomes, Ana Paula; Cesário, Clarice Silva; Olifiers, Natalie; de Cassia Bianchi, Rita; Maldonado, Arnaldo; Vilela, Roberto do Val (December 2019). "New morphological and genetic data of Gigantorhynchus echinodiscus (Diesing, 1851) (Acanthocephala: Archiacanthocephala) in the giant anteater Myrmecophaga tridactyla Linnaeus, 1758 (Pilosa: Myrmecophagidae)". International Journal for Parasitology: Parasites and Wildlife. 10: 281–288. Bibcode:2019IJPPW..10..281N. doi:10.1016/j.ijppaw.2019.09.008. PMC 6906829. PMID 31867208.