Marmosa rubra, Tate, 1931

Astúa, D., 2015, Didelphidae, Handbook of the Mammals of the World – Volume 5 Monotremes and Marsupials, Barcelona: Lynx Edicions, pp. 129-186 : 137

7. Red Mouse Opossum

Marmosa rubra

French: Opossum roux / German: Rote Zwergbeutelratte / Spanish: Marmosa rojiza

Taxonomy. Marmosa rubra Tate, 1931 ,

“mouth of Rio Curaray ,” Loreto, Peru.

This species is monotypic.

Distribution. Lowlands of E Ecuador, and Peru; possibly also in S Colombia.

Descriptive notes. Head-body 12.8-20 cm (males) and 13-15.6 cm (females), tail 18.3-21.4 cm (males) and 19.1-21.7 cm (females); weight 59-81 g. The Red Mouse Opossum has reddish-brown dorsal fur, which is slightly paler on body sides, although dark grayish-brown washed with dark orange or red can also occur. Mid-rostral fur on head is pale and sharply contrasts with darker fur on crown of head, and there are dark prominent eye-rings and a distinct mid-rostral stripe. Eye-rings do not extend to base of ears and are more pronounced between nose and eyes. Cheeks are yellowish or orangish. Tail length is ¢.130% of head-body length, and tail has fur on proximal 10% ofits length. Its otherwise naked part is bicolored, dark brown dorsally and paler ventrally. Ventral fur has a median strip of rich yellowish-buff or orangish-buff and is flanked with orangish gray-based fur that covers sides of neck, chest, and abdominal region, and sometimes covers inside of limbs. Fur is velvety, forefeet are pale brown with a dark brown spot, and hindfeet are reddish-brown. Lateral carpal tubercles are found in old males. Females lack a pouch and have seven or nine mammae, with three or four on each side, along with a medial mamma. Its karyotype is presently unknown. There is no sexual dimorphism in the skull size and shape.

Habitat. Lowland or pre-montane rainforest.

Food and Feeding. There is no information available for this species.

Breeding. There is no information available for this species.

Activity patterns. There is no information available for this species.

Movements, Home range and Social organization. There is no information available for this species.

Status and Conservation. Classified as Data Deficient on The IUCN Red List. There is a lack of recent or detailed information on extent of occurrence, status, and ecological requirements of the Red Mouse Opossum. It may be threatened because much of its suspected distribution is being converted to agriculture and human settlement. Further research is needed to determine extent and effects of conservation threats.

Bibliography. Astta (2010), Creighton & Gardner (2007b), Emmons & Feer (1997), Gardner (2007e), Gutiérrez et al. (2010), Hershkovitz (1992a), Rossi (2005), Rossi, Voss & Lunde (2010), Voss et al. (2014).

Figures

Distribution. Lowlands of E Ecuador, and Peru; possibly also in S Colombia.