Marmosa regina, Thomas, 1898

Astúa, D., 2015, Didelphidae, Handbook of the Mammals of the World – Volume 5 Monotremes and Marsupials, Barcelona: Lynx Edicions, pp. 129-186 : 142

21.

Bare-tailed Woolly Mouse Opossum

Marmosa regina

French: Opossum royal / German: Nacktschwanz-Zwergbeutelratte / Spanish: Marmosa lanuda de cola desnuda

Other common names: Short-furred Woolly Mouse Opossum

Taxonomy. Marmosa regina Thomas 1898 ,

“ W. Cundinamarca (Bogota Region),” Colombia.

A revision of M. regina using modern techniques may change the status of subspecies. Three subspecies recognized.

Subspecies and Distribution.

M.r.reginaThomas,1898—EColombia,ontheAndeanslopesandadjacentlowlands.

M.r.germanaThomas,1904—EEcuador,fromtheRioNapodrainageSalonglowerAndeanfoothillsandadjacentlowlandstoEPeru,Bolivia,andtheWAmazonBasinofBrazil.

M. r. rapposa Thomas, 1899 — Peru, Brazil, and Bolivia, from mid-elevation (1000- 2500 m) forests of the E Andes to adjacent lowlands.

Descriptive notes. Head—body 14-:2-19.8 cm, tail 23.8-29.4 cm; weight 76-164 g. The Bare-tailed Woolly Mouse Opossum has brown dorsal and lateral fur, tinged with orange, yellow, or pink, and black eyes are surrounded by narrow and indistinct eyerings. Cheeks and chin are orange, pinkish, or buff. Tail length is ¢.140% of headbody length, and tail has fur on proximal 3 cm or less. Naked part of tail is brown, sometimes mottled with white near tip. Ventral fur is bright orange to buff from chin and cheeks to groin, flanked by gray-based hairs only in lower chest and abdominal regions. Fur is woolly and long, measuring ¢.10 mm on dorsum. Ears are brown. Females lack a pouch. The Bare-tailed Woolly Mouse Opossum has a 2n = 14, FN = 20 karyotype, with four pairs of large biarmed and two pairs of medium acrocentric autosomes, and with a small biarmed X-chromosome and a very small biarmed Y-chromosome. Skull size and shape are sexually dimorphic.

Habitat. Humid tropical forests and second-growth and disturbed forests along Andean slopes and adjacent lowlands. In the western Brazilian Amazon, the Bare-tailed Woolly Mouse Opossum has been collected in white-water inundated forest or varzea (true varzea and quasi-varzea) and terra firma habitats.

Food and Feeding. There is no specific information for this species, but it probably feeds on insects and fruits.

Breeding. In the western Brazilian Amazon, reproductive female Bare-tailed Woolly Mouse Opossums were captured in February, September, October, and November during dry and wet seasons, thus suggesting that they can breed all year long. Number of young perlitter varied from six to eight. Females with attached young have been captured in July-August in Amazonas, Peru.

Activity patterns. There is no specific information for this species, but the Bare-tailed Woolly Mouse Opossum is probably nocturnal.

Movements, Home range and Social organization. Bare-tailed Woolly Mouse Opossums are highly arboreal. Specimens are usually captured in canopy traps at heights of 5-10 m or are shot while in trees at heights of 2 m or more.

Status and Conservation. Classified as Least Concern on The IUCN Red List. The Baretailed Woolly Mouse Opossum has a wide distribution and presumably a large population. It occurs in a number of protected areas, and it is tolerant of some degree of habitat modification.

Bibliography. Astua (2010), Creighton & Gardner (2007b), Diaz (2014), Eisenberg (1989), Emmons & Feer (1997), Gardner (2005), Gardner & Creighton (2007b), Gutiérrez et al. (2010), Patton & Costa (2003), Patton et al. (2000), de la Sancha et al. (2012), da Silva & Patton (1998), Voss et al. (2014).

Figures

65. Pygmy Opossum (Chacodelphys formosa), 66. Agricola’s Opossum (Cryptonanus agricola), 67. Chacoan Mouse Opossum (Cryptonanus chacoensis), 68. Guaiba Mouse Opossum (Cryptonanus guahybae), 69. Unduavi Mouse Opossum (Cryptonanus unduaviensis), 70. . Emilie’s. 9 Opossum.. Gracilinanus. (null), 71. Aceramarca Opossum (Gracilinanus aceramarcae), 72. Agile Opossum (Gracilinanus agilis), 73. Wood Sprite Opossum (Gracilinanus dryas), 74. Northern Gracile Opossum (Gracilinanus marica), 75. Brazilian Gracile Opossum (Gracilinanus microtarsus)

Subspecies and Distribution. M.r.reginaThomas,1898—EColombia,ontheAndeanslopesandadjacentlowlands. M.r.germanaThomas,1904—EEcuador,fromtheRioNapodrainageSalonglowerAndeanfoothillsandadjacentlowlandstoEPeru,Bolivia,andtheWAmazonBasinofBrazil. M. r. rapposa Thomas, 1899 — Peru, Brazil, and Bolivia, from mid-elevation (1000- 2500 m) forests of the E Andes to adjacent lowlands.