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Short-tailed opossum

{{short description|Genus of mammals}}

{{Automatic Taxobox

| name = Short-tailed opossums

| image = Monodelphis domestica.jpg

| image_caption = Gray short-tailed opossum (Monodelphis domestica)

| taxon = Monodelphis

| authority = Burnett, 1830

| type_species = Monodelphis brachyura

| type_species_authority = Burnett, 1830
(= Didelphis brevicaudata Erxleben, 1777)

| subdivision_ranks = Species

| subdivision =

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}}, the most recently described species is M. vossi.{{cite journal |last1=Amador |first1=Lucila I. |last2=Giannini |first2=Norberto P. |title=Phylogeny and evolution of body mass in didelphid marsupials (Marsupialia: Didelphimorphia: Didelphidae) |journal=Organisms Diversity & Evolution |date=1 September 2016 |volume=16 |issue=3 |pages=641–657 |doi=10.1007/s13127-015-0259-x |bibcode=2016ODivE..16..641A |s2cid=17393886 |hdl=11336/50679 |hdl-access=free }}

Species

Species limits are based on fur coloration with additional details coming from differences in the skull and teeth.{{cite journal |last1=Solari |first1=Sergio |title=A molecular perspective on the diversification of short-tailed opossums (Monodelphis: Didelphidae) |journal=Mastozoología Neotropical |volume=17 |issue=2 |year=2010 |pages=317–333 |url=https://mn.sarem.org.ar/article/a-molecular-perspective-on-the-diversification-of-short-tailed-opossums-monodelphis-didelphidae/ }}

Behavior

Short-tailed opossums show a rich repertoire of stereotyped behaviors.{{cite journal|last1=González|first1=E.M.|last2=Claramunt|first2=S.|title=Behaviors of captive short-tailed opossums, Monodelphis dimidiata (Wagner, 1847) (Didelphimorphia, Didelphidae).|journal=Mammalia|volume=64|issue=3|year=2000|pages=271–286 |doi=10.1515/mamm.2000.64.3.271}} Postures, locomotion, and grooming behaviours are similar to those of other didelphids. They also can carry nest materials using their short prehensile tails.

Short-tailed opossums show specialized behaviors for dealing with challenging prey. 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.

Chemosensory communication

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.{{Cite journal |last1=Poran |first1=Naomie S. |last2=Tripoli |first2=Robin |last3=Halpern |first3=Mimi |date=1993 |title=Nuzzling in the gray short-tailed opossum II: Familiarity and individual recognition |url=http://dx.doi.org/10.1016/0031-9384(93)90276-l |journal=Physiology & Behavior |volume=53 |issue=5 |pages=969–973 |doi=10.1016/0031-9384(93)90276-l |pmid=8511214 |s2cid=38881374 |issn=0031-9384|url-access=subscription }}

Reproduction

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.{{cite journal |last1=Smith |first1=Kathleen K. |last2=van Nievelt |first2=Alexander F. H. |title=Comparative Rates of Development in Monodelphis and Didelphis |journal=Science |date=31 January 1997 |volume=275 |issue=5300 |pages=683–684 |doi=10.1126/science.275.5300.683 |pmid=9005857 |s2cid=34138665 |doi-access= }} 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

{{Reflist}}

Further reading

  • {{cite journal |last1=Castilheiro |first1=Welvis Felipe Fernandes |last2=Santos Filho |first2=Manoel dos |title=Diet of Monodelphis glirina (Mammalia: Didelphidae) in forest fragments in southern Amazon |journal=Zoologia (Curitiba) |date=June 2013 |volume=30 |issue=3 |pages=249–254 |doi=10.1590/S1984-46702013000300001 |doi-access=free }}
  • {{cite journal |last1=González |first1=E. M. |last2=Claramunt |first2=S. |title=Behaviors of captive short-tailed Opossums, Monodelphis dimidiata (Wagner, 1847) (Didelphimorphia, Didelphidae) |journal=Mammalia |date=1 January 2000 |volume=64 |issue=3 |pages=271–286 |doi=10.1515/mamm.2000.64.3.271 |s2cid=84782113 }}
  • [https://web.archive.org/web/20060427054651/http://www.knowyoursto.com/didelphidae/monodelphis.html Know Your Short-tailed Opossum: Monodelphis]
  • [https://web.archive.org/web/20060217020708/http://www.itis.usda.gov/ Integrated Taxonomic Information System]
  • {{MSW3 Didelphimorphia | id = 10400133 | pages=13–16}}

{{Portal bar|Biology|Animals|Mammals|South America}}

{{Didelphimorphia|D.1}}

{{Taxonbar|from=Q1425981}}

Category:Short-tailed opossums

Category:Taxa named by Gilbert Thomas Burnett