| Massoia's lutrine opossum | |
|---|---|
Scientific classification | |
| Domain: | Eukaryota |
| Kingdom: | Animalia |
| Phylum: | Chordata |
| Class: | Mammalia |
| Infraclass: | Marsupialia |
| Order: | Didelphimorphia |
| Family: | Didelphidae |
| Genus: | Lutreolina |
| Species: | L. massoia |
| Binomial name | |
| Lutreolina massoia Martínez-Lanfranco, Flores, Jayat, & D'Elía, 2014 | |
 | |
| Massoia's lutrine opossum range (red) | |
Massoia's lutrine opossum (Lutreolina massoia) is a species ofopossum native toSouth America.[2]
It was formerly considered adisjunct population of thebig lutrine opossum (L. crassicaudata), but a 2014 study determined it to be a distinct species and described it as such. It is possible that climatic changes in the past led to an expansion of vegetation in theDry Chaco, allowing the ancestralLutreolina to cross it, with the later aridification of the Chaco isolating both species and leading to their divergence.[3]
This species was named after Argentine zoologistElio Massoia, who made significant contributions to the knowledge of South American mammal diversity, and was among the first researchers to notice the distinctiveness of theLutreolina populations of theYungas.[3]
It ranges from south-centralBolivia south to northernArgentina, where it is restricted to theYungas region just east of theAndes. It has a different habitat fromL. crassicaudata, being found primarily in lowlandsavanna grasslands. It seems to primarily use areas with dense ground cover and aquatic environments.[3]
L. massoia is smaller in size thanL. crassicaudata, and differs in the size and shape of the skull, as well as in the dentition.[3]
