Monodelphis ronaldi, Solari, 2004

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 : 148-149

32.

Pine’s Opossum

Monodelphis ronaldi

French: Opossum de Pine / German: Pines Spitzmausbeutelratte / Spanish: Colicorto de Ronald

Other common names: Ronald's Opossum

Taxonomy. Monodelphis ronaldi Solari, 2004 ,

“ Pakitza , Manu Reserved Zone , Department of Madre de Dios, South-easterPeru,”

This species is known from a single specimen. Monotypic.

Distribution. SE Peru (Madre de Dios), on the left bank of the Madre de Dios River Basin.

Descriptive notes. Head-body 14-1 cm, tail 7-2 cm; weight 70 g. Dorsal and head fur of Pine’s Opossum is uniformly brownish to pale sepia, with no dorsal stripes, no reddish or yellowish color on body sides, and no mid-rostral stripe or eye-rings. Tail length is ¢.51% of head-body length, and tail has fur on its proximal 5 mm at most. Naked rest oftail is pale fuscous dorsally, with fine whitish hairs on ventral surface. Ventral fur is creamy buff, with no mid-ventral cream or whitish stripe, and there is a small patch of gray-based hairs on abdominal region. Fur is 3-4 mm and velvety. Feet are pale buffy and silver. Female Pine’s Opossums probably lack a pouch, as do all other short-tailed opossums, but the only known specimen is a male, and therefore there is no information on number of mammae. Karyotype of Pine’s Opossum is unknown.

Habitat. Lowland (356 m) humid mixed forest with cane thickets (based on only one specimen).

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 Least Concern on The IUCN Red List. This assessment is based on the fact that although Pine’s Opossum is known only from the holotype, it is likely to be found in a wider area. Known locality is within a protected area (Manu National Park and Biosphere Reserve), and other potential distributional areas are not under high conservation threat.

Bibliography. Pine & Handley (2007), Solari (2004, 2007).

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 Peru (Madre de Dios), on the left bank of the Madre de Dios River Basin.