Brazilian Gracile Opossum
Encyclopedia
The Brazilian gracile opossum, Gracilinanus microtarsus, is a species
of small opposum from Brazil
.
The opossum is reddish dark brown or grey over most of its body with paler, cream-colored, underparts. The fur on the face is also relatively pale, with distinct rings of near black fur around each eye. The tail is prehensile and scaly, and does not store fat as it does in some related species. The toes are relatively long, with small, regular, claws. The female typically has fifteen teats, although the exact number can vary; four are on the chest, and the remainder, including a single median teat, on the abdomen.
to Rio Grande do Sul
. It inhabits rainforests and partly deciduous forests scattered in the southern regions of the cerrado
ecoregion, but, being able to forage successfully on the ground, is less affected by fragmentation of forest habitats than more purely arboreal animals. It has also been found in artificial plantation
s.
There are no recognised subspecies.
The species is insectivorous
, and is an opportunistic forager, not specialising in any particular kind of insect. Individuals have also been reported to eat some spiders, snails, and even fruit (including passionfruit). Predators of Brazilian gracile oppossums include ocelot
s, oncillas, crab-eating fox
es, maned wolves
and white-tailed hawk
s.
. They are weaned
by three months of age, between November and December. The young are fully grown, with an adult set of teeth, by six months, reaching sexual maturity within a year of birth. Most Brazilian gracile opossums do not survive for much longer than a year, but some can reach two years of age.
Species
In biology, a species is one of the basic units of biological classification and a taxonomic rank. A species is often defined as a group of organisms capable of interbreeding and producing fertile offspring. While in many cases this definition is adequate, more precise or differing measures are...
of small opposum from Brazil
Brazil
Brazil , officially the Federative Republic of Brazil , is the largest country in South America. It is the world's fifth largest country, both by geographical area and by population with over 192 million people...
.
Description
Brazilian gracile opossums are relatively small opossums, with males ranging from 86 to 129 cm (33.9 to 50.8 in) and females from 81 to 116 cm (31.9 to 45.7 in) in head-body length. The tail is between 30 and 50% of the head-body length. Males weigh 17 to 52 g (0.599657355786903 to 1.8 oz) and females from 12 to 37 g (0.423287545261344 to 1.3 oz).The opossum is reddish dark brown or grey over most of its body with paler, cream-colored, underparts. The fur on the face is also relatively pale, with distinct rings of near black fur around each eye. The tail is prehensile and scaly, and does not store fat as it does in some related species. The toes are relatively long, with small, regular, claws. The female typically has fifteen teats, although the exact number can vary; four are on the chest, and the remainder, including a single median teat, on the abdomen.
Distribution and habitat
The Brazilian gracile opossum is found only in Brazil, being endemic to the south-eastern parts of the country, from Espirito SantoEspírito Santo
Espírito Santo is one of the states of southeastern Brazil, often referred to by the abbreviation "ES". Its capital is Vitória and the largest city is Vila Velha. The name of the state means literally "holy spirit" after the Holy Ghost of Christianity...
to Rio Grande do Sul
Rio Grande do Sul
Rio Grande do Sul is the southernmost state in Brazil, and the state with the fifth highest Human Development Index in the country. In this state is located the southernmost city in the country, Chuí, on the border with Uruguay. In the region of Bento Gonçalves and Caxias do Sul, the largest wine...
. It inhabits rainforests and partly deciduous forests scattered in the southern regions of the cerrado
Cerrado
The Cerrado, is a vast tropical savanna ecoregion of Brazil, particularly in the states of Gioas and Minas Gerais...
ecoregion, but, being able to forage successfully on the ground, is less affected by fragmentation of forest habitats than more purely arboreal animals. It has also been found in artificial plantation
Plantation
A plantation is a long artificially established forest, farm or estate, where crops are grown for sale, often in distant markets rather than for local on-site consumption...
s.
There are no recognised subspecies.
Behavior
Brazilian gracile opossums are arboreal and nocturnal, spending the day nesting in tree hollows. They are solitary animals, with each individual inhabiting a home range of anything from 0.03 to 0.32 ha (0.0741315489045828 to 0.790736521648883 acres), depending on habitat. Males tend to have larger home ranges than females, presumably because, being larger, they require more food.The species is insectivorous
Insectivore
An insectivore is a type of carnivore with a diet that consists chiefly of insects and similar small creatures. An alternate term is entomophage, which also refers to the human practice of eating insects....
, and is an opportunistic forager, not specialising in any particular kind of insect. Individuals have also been reported to eat some spiders, snails, and even fruit (including passionfruit). Predators of Brazilian gracile oppossums include ocelot
Ocelot
The ocelot , pronounced /ˈɒsəˌlɒt/, also known as the dwarf leopard or McKenney's wildcat is a wild cat distributed over South and Central America and Mexico, but has been reported as far north as Texas and in Trinidad, in the Caribbean...
s, oncillas, crab-eating fox
Crab-eating Fox
The crab-eating fox , also known as the forest fox, wood fox, and the common fox, is an extant species of medium-sized canid endemic to the central part of South America and which appeared during the Pliocene epoch...
es, maned wolves
Maned Wolf
The maned wolf is the largest canid of South America, resembling a large fox with reddish fur.This mammal is found in open and semi-open habitats, especially grasslands with scattered bushes and trees, in south, central-west and south-eastern Brazil The maned wolf (Chrysocyon brachyurus) is the...
and white-tailed hawk
White-tailed Hawk
The White-tailed Hawk is a large bird of prey species found in tropical or subtropical environments across the Americas.-Description:...
s.
Reproduction
Females come into estrus once a year, between August and September. Litters of up to twelve young are born during the wet season, when food is plentiful. The mother does not possess a pouchPouch (marsupial)
The pouch is a distinguishing feature of female marsupials ; the name marsupial is derived from the Latin marsupium, meaning "pouch". Marsupials give birth to a live but relatively undeveloped fetus called a joey. When the joey is born it crawls from inside the mother to the pouch...
. They are weaned
Weaning
Weaning is the process of gradually introducing a mammal infant, either human or animal, to what will be its adult diet and withdrawing the supply of its mother's milk.The process takes place only in mammals, as only mammals produce milk...
by three months of age, between November and December. The young are fully grown, with an adult set of teeth, by six months, reaching sexual maturity within a year of birth. Most Brazilian gracile opossums do not survive for much longer than a year, but some can reach two years of age.