Marmosa alstoni (J. A. Allen, 1900)

Russell A. Mittermeier & Don E. Wilson, 2015, Didelphidae, Handbook of the Mammals of the World – Volume 5 Monotremes and Marsupials, Barcelona: Lynx Edicions, pp. 129-186 : 142-143

23.

Alston’s Woolly Mouse Opossum

Marmosa alstoni

French: Opossum dAlston / German: Alstons Zwergbeutelratte / Spanish: Marmosa lanuda de Alston

Other common names: Alston's Mouse Opossum

Taxonomy. Caluromys alstoniJ. A. Allen, 1900 ,

“ Tres Rios ,” Cartago, Costa Rica .

This species is monotypic.

Distribution. Lowlands from Belize to NW Colombia (Choco).

Descriptive notes. Head-body 15.5-18 cm, tail 25-28.1 cm; 60-150 g. Dorsal fur of Alston’s Woolly Mouse Opossum is medium brown, and prominent eye-rings are present. Tail length is ¢.155% of headbody length, and tail has fur on proximal 3-5 cm. Naked part of tail is brown on proximal one-half and white or mottled on the distal one-half. Ventral fur is gray-based buffy to orange. Fur is long and woolly. Feet are pale grayish. Females lack a pouch; they have nine or eleven mammae, four or five on each side, and a medial mamma. Alston’s Woolly Mouse Opossum has a 2n = 14, FN = 24 karyotype, with all biarmed autosomes, and with acrocentric X-chromosome and Y-chromosome. There is no sexual dimorphism in the skull size and shape.

Habitat. [Lowland tropical forested habitats.

Food and Feeding. Diet of Alston’s Woolly Mouse Opossum consists of fruit, flower parts, bird eggs, small vertebrates, and insects.

Breeding. Alston’s Woolly Mouse Opossum builds unstructured nests in palms and vine tangles, mostly composed of green leaves. A litter of eleven young has been recorded. Its breeding season is unknown, but juveniles were collected in June, August, and October.

Activity patterns. There is no specific information for this species, but Alston’s Woolly Mouse Opossum is probably nocturnal.

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

Status and Conservation. Classified as Least Concern in The IUCN Red List. Alston’s Woolly Mouse Opossum occurs in large protected areas and appears to tolerate disturbed habitat.

Bibliography. Astua (2010), Creighton & Gardner (2007b), Diaz & Gémez-Laverde (2007), Eisenberg (1989), Emmons & Feer (1997), Gardner (2005), Gardner & Creighton (2007b), Lambert, T.D. et al. (2011), Patton & Costa (2003), Reid (2009), Reig et al. (1977), de la Sancha et al. (2012), Svartman (2009), Tate (1933), Voss & Jansa (2009), 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)

Distribution. Lowlands from Belize to NW Colombia (Choco).