| Derby's woolly opossum | |
|---|---|
_male.jpg) | |
_male_head.jpg) | |
| Inside Canopy Tower,Panama | |
Scientific classification | |
| Kingdom: | Animalia |
| Phylum: | Chordata |
| Class: | Mammalia |
| Infraclass: | Marsupialia |
| Order: | Didelphimorphia |
| Family: | Didelphidae |
| Genus: | Caluromys |
| Subgenus: | Mallodelphys |
| Species: | C. derbianus |
| Binomial name | |
| Caluromys derbianus (Waterhouse, 1841) | |
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| Range of Derby's woolly opossum | |
| Synonyms[2] | |
List
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Derby's woolly opossum (Caluromys derbianus), or theCentral American woolly opossum,[3] is anopossum found in deciduous and moist evergreen forests ofCentral America, from southernMexico to westernEcuador andColombia. It was first described by English naturalistGeorge Robert Waterhouse, and named in honor ofEdward Smith-Stanley, 13th Earl of Derby. Derby's woolly opossum is the largest in its genus, with a total length of 60 to 70 centimetres (24 to 28 in) and weight between 200 and 400 grams (7.1 and 14.1 oz). The coat is brown and the underside white-buff to golden-brown. The opossum isnocturnal (active mainly at night),arboreal (tree-living) and solitary. Diet consists of fruits, nectar, smallinvertebrates andvertebrates. The time when breeding takes place varies geographically. The litter size ranges from one to six. TheIUCN classifies this opossum asleast concern.
Derby's woolly opossum is one of the three members ofCaluromys, and is placed in the familyDidelphidae.[4] It was firstdescribed by English naturalistGeorge Robert Waterhouse asDidelphis derbianus in 1841. He was named in honor ofEdward Smith-Stanley, 13th Earl of Derby, to whose museum the specimen used for the description belonged.[5] It was given its present binomial name,Caluromys derbianus, by American zoologistJoel Asaph Allen in 1900.[6] A 1955 revision of marsupial phylogeny groupedCaluromys,Caluromysiops,Dromiciops (monito del monte) andGlironia (bushy-tailed opossum) under a single subfamily, Microbiotheriinae, noting the dental similarities among these. A 1977 study argued that these similarities are the result ofconvergent evolution, and placedCaluromys,Caluromysiops andGlironia in a new subfamily,Caluromyinae.[7] In another similar revision, the bushy-tailed opossum was placed in its own subfamily, Glironiinae.[8]
The following seven subspecies are recognized:[6][9]
Thecladogram below, based on a 2016 study, shows thephylogenetic relationships of Derby's woolly opossum.[10]
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Derby's woolly opossum is the largest in its genus, with a total length of 60 to 70 centimetres (24 to 28 in) and weight between 200 and 400 grams (7.1 and 14.1 oz). It is characterized by white to pink ears, lightly colored limbs, a brown coat (lighter than that of thebrown-eared woolly opossum), white-buff to golden-brown underside, and the prehensile tail (tail that can be used to grab objects) that accounts for 58 to 67 percent of the total length. A dark streak runs from along the midline of the nose up to thecrown. Coat color varies geographically. The tail is partially naked, as in thebare-tailed woolly opossum. Like others inCaluromys, it has apouch. The ears measure about 4 centimetres (1.6 in) and the hindfeet 3.5 centimetres (1.4 in). Claws are present in all the five digits of the forefeet and two of either hindfoot. Thedental formula is5.1.3.44.1.3.4.[9][11] The eyes glow red on exposure to light.[3]
Derby's woolly opossum isnocturnal (active mainly at night), solitary, and spends most of the day in nests made of dead leaves in cavities in the upper reaches of trees. Studies show that activity levels may increase if food is scarce, and decrease on exposure to light. The animal is an efficient climber, and the tail assists in grasping branches. It shows remarkable agility in moving among vines and branches. When disturbed, it might attack defensively by biting; it can produce squeals when distressed.[3][9][11] Predators includeocelots.[12]
Diet comprises fruits ofpepper vines andCecropia species, nectar of thebalsa tree,Mabea occidentalis andTrichanthera gigantea, smallinvertebrates andvertebrates. After feeding, the opossum will lick the forepaws and use them to clean its face; they can also be used to clean the flanks, underbelly and the portion of the tail nearer to the tip.[9][11]
Both sexes becomesexually mature by seven to nine months. Theestrus cycle is nearly 28 days long. The time when breeding takes place varies geographically – it takes place during the dry season in Panama (late January or early February) and probably throughout the year in Nicaragua. Males have been observed pursuing the female before copulation occurs. The litter size ranges from one to six.[9][11][13] The lifespan is not known for sure; one individual inNew York Zoological Park lived for five years and three months.[6]
Derby's woolly opossum inhabits deciduous and moist evergreen forests up to an altitude of 2,600 metres (8,500 ft). The range extends fromVeracruz in southern Mexico southward into South America to western Ecuador andCauca River valley in Colombia.[1][11] TheIUCN classifies it asleast concern, given its presumably large numbers. Earlier, it used to be targeted for its fur. Populations in Ecuador and Mexico, however, are threatened by deforestation.[1]
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Data related toCaluromys derbianus at Wikispecies.svg)
