Gracilinanus emiliae (Thomas, 1909)

Astúa, D., 2015, Didelphidae, Handbook of the Mammals of the World – Volume 5 Monotremes and Marsupials, Barcelona: Lynx Edicions, pp. 129-186 : 170

70.

Emilie’s Opossum

Gracilinanus emiliae

French: Opossum d'Emilie / German: Emilies Zwergbeutelratte / Spanish: Marmosa gréacil de Emilie

Other common names: Emilia’s Gracile Mouse Opossum, Emilia’s Gracile Opossum, Emilia’s Opossum, Long-tailed Gracile Mouse Opossum

Taxonomy. Marmosa emiliae Thomas, 1909 ,

* Para, Brazil.”

This species is monotypic.

Distribution. E Colombia, N, E & SE Venezuela, the Guianas, N Brazil, and NE Peru (Loreto).

Descriptive notes. Head-body 7.2-8.7 cm, tail 12.8-15.1 cm; weight 10-14 g. Emilie’s Opossum is a very small species, with gray-based, dull reddish-brown dorsal fur. It has well-marked narrow black eye-rings from nose to behind eyes, but they do not reach bases of ears. Mid-rostral fur is pure orange, and cheeks are white or cream. Tail is one of the relatively longest opossum tails, measuring c.180% of head-body length. Less than 10 mm of tail, at the base, is furred; it is uniformly colored dark brownish or grayish. Emilie’s Opossum has pure white to cream ventral fur from chin to groin and has a throat gland. Fur is short,soft, and fine. Forefeet, hindfeet, wrists, and ankles are pale, dull, whitish or orangish, and lateral carpal tubercles are present in old males. Ears are intermediate in size, delicate, naked, translucent, brownish or grayish at tips and opaque and pale at bases. Females lack a pouch, and nine mammae are present, four on each side and a medial mamma, in at least one specimen. Karyotype is unknown in Emilie’s Opossum;there are several karyotypes reported as belonging to Emilie’s Opossum, but they refer to specimens collected in central Brazil and likely represent other species or genera.

Habitat. Lowland rainforest habitats, including primary and secondary forests and gallery forests within savanna-dominated landscapes. Emilie’s Opossums have also been captured directly in savanna habitats, but presence or proximity of a savanna is not mandatory forits presence.

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

Breeding. There is no information available for this species.

Activity patterns. Emilie’s Opossum is nocturnal; some of the specimens were shot at night in Peru and French Guiana.

Movements, Home range and Social organization. Emilie’s Opossums use the arboreal stratum. One specimen was shot while perched on a branch of a small tree in the understory in Peru, another was shot at 4 m above the ground, and another was trapped in a vine.

Status and Conservation. Classified as Data Deficient on The IUCN Red List. Information on systematics, distribution, status, conservation threats, ecological requirements, and population size of Emilie’s Opossum is very scarce. Several specimens reported as belonging to this species in the last decades were actually misidentified, creating further confusion.

Bibliography. Brandao, da Rocha et al. (2014), Carvalho et al. (2002), Creighton & Gardner (2007a), Emmons & Feer (1997), Gardner (2005), Pereira et al. (2008), Rossiet al. (2012), da Silva et al. (2013), Thomas (1909a), Voss & Jansa (2009), Voss, Fleck & Jansa (2009), Voss, Lunde & Jansa (2005), Voss, Lunde & Simmons (2001).

Figures

On following pages: 68. Guaiba Mouse Opossum (Cryptonanus guahybae); 69. Unduavi Mouse Opossum (Cryptonanus unduaviensis); 70. Emilie’s Opossum (Gracilinanus emiliae); 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. E Colombia, N, E & SE Venezuela, the Guianas, N Brazil, and NE Peru (Loreto).