| Gray and black four-eyed opossums[1][2][3] | |
|---|---|
 | |
| Philander opossum | |
Scientific classification | |
| Domain: | Eukaryota |
| Kingdom: | Animalia |
| Phylum: | Chordata |
| Class: | Mammalia |
| Infraclass: | Marsupialia |
| Order: | Didelphimorphia |
| Family: | Didelphidae |
| Subfamily: | Didelphinae |
| Tribe: | Didelphini |
| Genus: | Philander Brisson, 1762 |
| Type species | |
| Didelphis opossum Linnaeus, 1758 | |
| Species | |
The nine species in thegenusPhilander, commonly known asgray and black four-eyed opossums, are members of theorderDidelphimorphia. Mature females have a well-developedmarsupium. The tail appears to be hairless except for the proximal (closest to the body) 5 or 6 cm, which has a few long hairs. The tail is slightly longer than the head-and-body length, and it is black for the proximal one half to two thirds of its length. The genus is closely related toDidelphis but the species ofPhilander are smaller than those ofDidelphis. The genus formerly includedMetachirus nudicaudatus, but this species lacks a pouch and so is now considered a separate genus.[4] The common name comes from the white spots above the eyes, which can appear from a distance to be another set of eyes.
The following three species are recognized by theIUCN andMammal Species of the World but not by theAmerican Society of Mammalogists.P. frenatus is considered asynonym ofPhilander opossum, and the latter two arejunior synonyms ofPhilander canus.[5]
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