Southern four-eyed opossum

This species was described in 1824 by Coenraad Jacob Temminck in his 1824 work Monographies de Mammalogie.{{cite book |last1=Temminck |first1=Coenraad Jacob |title=Monographie de mammalogie |date=1824 |location=Paris |edition=2 |url=https://www.biodiversitylibrary.org/bibliography/125524 |access-date=29 October 2024}} Similar to many early marsupials, this species was originally described in the genus Didelphis. This species was considered a valid species until 1935, when the Brazilian zoologist Alípio de Miranda-Ribeiro would consider it a subspecies of the gray four-eyed opossum.

The Atlantic Forest populations of Philander were considered to be Philander frenatus by James L. Patton & Maria Nazareth Ferreira da Silva in 1997,{{cite journal |last1=Patton |first1=James L. |last2=da Silva |first2=Maria Nazareth F. |title=Definition of Species of Pouched Four-eyed Opossums (Didelphidae, Philander) |journal=Journal of Mammalogy |date=February 1997 |volume=78 |issue=1 |page=97 |doi=10.2307/1382642}} but the holotype of P. frenatus was collected in eastern Brazil near the city of Belém, well outside the range of this species. P. frenatus was collected by Friedrich Wilhelm Sieber, who never collected from near the Atlantic Forest. In 2018, P. frenatus was synonymized with Philander opossum, leaving "Philander quica" as the oldest valid name for this species.{{cite journal |last1=Voss |first1=Robert S. |last2=Angermann |first2=Renate |title=On the Type Locality of Didelphys frenata Olfers, 1818 |journal=American Museum Novitates |date=31 January 2018 |issue=3891 |pages=69–70|url=https://digitallibrary.amnh.org/items/17927dc9-f41d-4c5c-8d3a-8944f790d4f9|access-date=29 October 2024}}

Analysis of the cytochrome b and nucDNA of most members of the genus Philander has shown P. quica to be the sister taxon to all other Philander species.{{cite journal |last1=Voss |first1=Robert S. |last2=Giarla |first2=Thomas C. |title=A Revision of Philander (Marsupialia: Didelphidae), Part 2: Phylogenetic Relationships and Morphological Diagnosis of P. nigratus Thomas, 1923 |journal=American Museum Novitates |date=24 June 2020 |issue=3955|doi=10.5531/sd.sp.43}}

This species is recognized by the American Society of Mammalogists, but not by the IUCN.

"quica" seems to come from a native name for this species. It is derived from the Portuguese word "cuíca", itself derived from a Tupi word.{{cite web |title=quica noun |url=https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/quica |website=Merriam-Webster |publisher=Merriam-Webster |access-date=29 October 2024}}

The upper fur on this species is grayish, with darker underfur and darker near the ears and face. The underside is yellowish to whitish, with some gray colors near the sides, between the forearms, and on the bottom of the neck and jaw. It has two spots above each eye that are the same color as the underside. The tail is bald, and gray for half to two-thirds of its length, then white on the distal half to distal third. This species ranges in size from {{cvt|230|mm}} to {{cvt|620|mm}}, averaging {{cvt|487|mm}}. The tail length averages {{cvt|262|mm}} of this length, ranging from {{cvt|170|mm}} to {{cvt|320|mm}}.{{cite journal |last1=Flores |first1=David A. |last2=Barquez |first2=Rubén Marcos |last3=Diaz |first3=María Mónica |title=A new species of Philander Brisson, 1762 (Didelphimorphia, Didelphidae) |journal=Mammalian Biology |date=20 April 2007 |volume=73 |issue=1|pages=14–24 |doi=10.1016/j.mambio.2007.04.002}} Despite this wide range of sizes, there is no physical difference between populations across their range.

This species is found in southern Brazil, northeastern Argentina, and eastern Paraguay. Its range likely comes into contact with that of the common four-eyed opossum (P. canus) where the Atlantic Rainforest comes into contact with other forests, in Brazil and Paraguay. This is the only Philander species known from the Atlantic Rainforest.

This species is endemic to the Atlantic Rainforest, where it occupies almost all habitats within the region. It has been recorded from lowland forests, submontane forests, costal scrub, and even agricultural fields.

Similar to its congeners, this species is a true omnivore, consuming fruits, flowers, seeds, invertebrates, carrion, and small vertebrates. This species specifically has been recorded feeding on seeds, birds, mammals, reptiles, and various invertebrates, with birds and beetles being the most common prey items. This species is primarily terrestrial, nocturnal, and solitary. Litters average roughly 3-6 young per litter.

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Category:Opossums

Category:Marsupials of Argentina

Category:Marsupials of Brazil

Category:Mammals of Paraguay

Category:Fauna of the Atlantic Forest

Category:Mammals described in 1824