Gray and black four-eyed opossum

{{Short description|Genus of marsupials}}

{{Automatic taxobox

| name = Gray and black four-eyed opossums{{MSW3 Gardner|pages=16–17}}{{cite journal | last = Lew | first = Daniel |author2=Roger Pérez-Hernández |author3=Jacint Ventura | title = Two new species of Philander (Didelphimorphia, Didelphidae) from northern South America | journal = Journal of Mammalogy | volume = 87 | issue = 2 | pages = 224–237 | year = 2006 |doi = 10.1644/05-MAMM-A-065R2.1| doi-access = }}{{cite journal | journal = Mammalian Biology | volume = 73 | issue = 1 | year = 2008 | pages = 14–24 | title = A new species of Philander Brisson, 1762 (Didelphimorphia, Didelphidae) | author = David A. Flores | author2 = Barqueza, R.M. | author3 = Díaza, M.M. | name-list-style = amp | doi = 10.1016/j.mambio.2007.04.002| bibcode = 2008MamBi..73...14F }}

| image = Cuica verdadeira2.jpg

| image_caption = Philander opossum

| display_parents = 2

| taxon = Philander

| authority = Brisson, 1762

| type_species = Didelphis opossum

| type_species_authority = Linnaeus, 1758

| subdivision_ranks = Species

| subdivision = *Philander andersoni

• Philander canus
• Philander deltae
• Philander frenatus
• Philander mcilhennyi
• Philander melanurus
• Philander mondolfii
• Philander nigratus
• Philander olrogi
• Philander opossum
• Philander pebas
• Philander quica
• Philander vossi

}}

The nine species in the genus Philander, commonly known as gray and black four-eyed opossums, are members of the order Didelphimorphia. Mature females have a well-developed marsupium. The tail appears to be hairless except for the proximal (closest to the body) 5 or 6 cm, which has a few long hairs. The tail is slightly longer than the head-and-body length, and it is black for the proximal one half to two thirds of its length. The genus is closely related to Didelphis but the species of Philander are smaller than those of Didelphis. The genus formerly included Metachirus nudicaudatus, but this species lacks a pouch and so is now considered a separate genus.{{Cite book

| last = Gardner | first = Alfred L. | title = Mammals of South America: Marsupials, xenarthrans, shrews, and bats

| publisher = University of Chicago Press | year = 2008 | pages = 669

| url = https://books.google.com/books?id=dbU3d7EUCm8C

| isbn = 978-0-226-28240-4}} The common name comes from the white spots above the eyes, which can appear from a distance to be another set of eyes.

File:Philander andersoni.jpg