Monodelphis unistriata (Wagner, 1842)

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 : 154-155

47.

Single-striped Opossum

Monodelphis unistriata

French: Opossum a une raie / German: Einstreifen-Spitzmausbeutelratte / Spanish: Colicorto uniestriado

Other common names: One-striped Opossum, One-striped Short-tailed Opossum

Taxonomy. Didelphys unistriata Wagner, 1842 ,

“Ytarare” (= ltararé), Sao Paulo, Brazil.

This species is known from only two specimens. Monotypic.

Distribution. SE Brazil (Sao Paulo) and NE Argentina (Misiones).

Descriptive notes. Head-body 14:1 cm, tail 6-2 cm. No specific data are available for body weight. The Single-striped Opossum has a unique fur pattern. Rustybrown dorsalfur is grizzled with whitish-gray, and a single chestnutstripe runs along middle of back from shoulders to base of tail. Sides of body are yellowish-orange. Head is same color as dorsum, without any mid-rostralstripe or eye-rings. Tail length is ¢.45% of head-body length, and tail is naked and bicolored, brown dorsally and yellowish ventrally. Ventral fur and feet are yellowish-orange, like body sides. Fur is short, dense, and velvety. No females have been collected, but they probably lack a pouch, like all other species of Monodelphis . Because the only two known specimens are male, number of mammae is unknown. Karyotype of the Single-striped Opossum is also unknown.

Habitat. There is no information available for this species.

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 Critically Endangered (Possibly Extinct) on The IUCN Red List. The Single-striped Opossum is known from only two specimens: the holotype collected in 1821 and an additional specimen collected in 1899. Despite collecting efforts in southern Brazil and north-eastern Argentina, no additional specimens of Single-striped Opossum have been collected, suggesting it might be extinct.

Bibliography. Emmons & Feer (1997), Gardner (2005), Pine & Handley (2007), Pine et al. (2013), Rossi et al. (2012).

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. SE Brazil (Sao Paulo) and NE Argentina (Misiones).