Geographic Range
Marmosa andersoni
is only known from three localities in the Andean foothills of southeastern Peru
(Cusco department).
- Biogeographic Regions
- neotropical
Habitat
The only known habitat of
Marmosa andersoni
is premontane rainforest.
- Habitat Regions
- tropical
- terrestrial
- Terrestrial Biomes
- rainforest
Physical Description
Like other species of mouse opossums,
Marmosa andersoni
is a small, pouchless marsupial with large, membranous ears; prominent eyes; a mask
of dark fur surrounding the eyes; and a long, slender, prehensile tail. The dorsal
fur is reddish-brown and the ventral fur is abruptly paler (whitish yellow with gray-based
hairs). Among other diagnostic traits, this species differs from other members of
the genus by its very large postorbital processes, very narrow interorbital region,
and by having two rows of long silvery hairs on the underside of the tail (flanking
the midventral naked prehensile surface). Only three adult specimens have been collected,
so the known range of measurements and weights (below) do not represent the full range
of morphometric variation in this species.
- Other Physical Features
- endothermic
- homoiothermic
- bilateral symmetry
Reproduction
The mating system of this species is unknown.
Nothing has been published about reproduction in
Anderson's mouse opossum
, but other species of mouse opossum are spontaneous ovulators that give birth to
highly altricial young after a short gestation (like
Robinson's mouse opossum
). Females have nine mammae, so the average litter size is unlikely to be larger than
nine.
- Key Reproductive Features
- iteroparous
- gonochoric/gonochoristic/dioecious (sexes separate)
- sexual
- viviparous
Although parental care has not been observed in this species, females presumably nurse
neonatal young, groom them, and protect them from predators.
- Parental Investment
- altricial
- female parental care
-
pre-fertilization
- provisioning
-
protecting
- female
-
pre-hatching/birth
-
provisioning
- female
-
protecting
- female
-
provisioning
-
pre-weaning/fledging
-
provisioning
- female
-
provisioning
Lifespan/Longevity
Nothing is known about the lifespan of this species.
Behavior
Several juvenile individuals were found climbing in bamboo, and the morphology of
the species is consistent with an arboreal or scansorial lifestyle. One adult was
found inside a bamboo cane. Like other
mouse opossums
, this species is probably nocturnal and solitary.
Communication and Perception
Communication has not been studied in this species, but adults of both sexes have
sternal glands that probably have some social-marking function.
The eyes, ears, nasal turbinates (thin bones that support olfactory epithelium), and
tactile hairs (vibrissae) are well developed in this species (as in other opossums),
so vision, hearing, and touch are presumably important senses.
- Communication Channels
- chemical
- Other Communication Modes
- scent marks
Food Habits
The diet of this species is unknown, but its dentition is consistent with insectivory.
Like other species of
mouse opossums
, this species may also be opportunistically frugivorous.
- Primary Diet
-
carnivore
- insectivore
- eats non-insect arthropods
- Animal Foods
- insects
- terrestrial non-insect arthropods
- Plant Foods
- fruit
Predation
The predators of this species are unknown but they probably include
snakes
,
owls
, and wild
felids
.
- Anti-predator Adaptations
- cryptic
Ecosystem Roles
The ecosystem roles of this species are unkown, but it probably eats small animals
(e.g., insects). It probably is eaten by larger animals, and it is probably host to
both internal and external parasites. Probable ectoparasites include species of Arachnida
(
Acari
: mites) and
Insecta
(
Siphonaptera
: fleas). Probable endoparasites include species of Acanthocephala (spiny-headed worms),
Cestoda
(tapeworms),
Digenea
(flukes), and
Nematoda
(roundworms).
- fleas ( Siphonaptera )
Economic Importance for Humans: Positive
It is unlikely that this species is of any positive economic importance.
Economic Importance for Humans: Negative
There are no known adverse effects of Marmosa andersoni on humans.
Conservation Status
Although this species has a restricted geographic range, the region that they inhabit is still largely undeveloped.
Other Comments
Marmosa andersoni is one of the least frequently observed and most poorly known of all mouse opossums.
Additional Links
Contributors
Robert Voss (author), American Museum of Natural History, Sharon Jansa (editor), American Museum of Natural History, Alexa Unruh (editor), Animal Diversity Web Staff.
- Neotropical
-
living in the southern part of the New World. In other words, Central and South America.
- native range
-
the area in which the animal is naturally found, the region in which it is endemic.
- tropical
-
the region of the earth that surrounds the equator, from 23.5 degrees north to 23.5 degrees south.
- terrestrial
-
Living on the ground.
- rainforest
-
rainforests, both temperate and tropical, are dominated by trees often forming a closed canopy with little light reaching the ground. Epiphytes and climbing plants are also abundant. Precipitation is typically not limiting, but may be somewhat seasonal.
- endothermic
-
animals that use metabolically generated heat to regulate body temperature independently of ambient temperature. Endothermy is a synapomorphy of the Mammalia, although it may have arisen in a (now extinct) synapsid ancestor; the fossil record does not distinguish these possibilities. Convergent in birds.
- bilateral symmetry
-
having body symmetry such that the animal can be divided in one plane into two mirror-image halves. Animals with bilateral symmetry have dorsal and ventral sides, as well as anterior and posterior ends. Synapomorphy of the Bilateria.
- iteroparous
-
offspring are produced in more than one group (litters, clutches, etc.) and across multiple seasons (or other periods hospitable to reproduction). Iteroparous animals must, by definition, survive over multiple seasons (or periodic condition changes).
- sexual
-
reproduction that includes combining the genetic contribution of two individuals, a male and a female
- viviparous
-
reproduction in which fertilization and development take place within the female body and the developing embryo derives nourishment from the female.
- altricial
-
young are born in a relatively underdeveloped state; they are unable to feed or care for themselves or locomote independently for a period of time after birth/hatching. In birds, naked and helpless after hatching.
- female parental care
-
parental care is carried out by females
- arboreal
-
Referring to an animal that lives in trees; tree-climbing.
- nocturnal
-
active during the night
- motile
-
having the capacity to move from one place to another.
- solitary
-
lives alone
- chemical
-
uses smells or other chemicals to communicate
- scent marks
-
communicates by producing scents from special gland(s) and placing them on a surface whether others can smell or taste them
- visual
-
uses sight to communicate
- tactile
-
uses touch to communicate
- acoustic
-
uses sound to communicate
- chemical
-
uses smells or other chemicals to communicate
- cryptic
-
having markings, coloration, shapes, or other features that cause an animal to be camouflaged in its natural environment; being difficult to see or otherwise detect.
- carnivore
-
an animal that mainly eats meat
- insectivore
-
An animal that eats mainly insects or spiders.
References
Pine, R. 1972. A new subgenus and species of murine opossum (genus Marmosa ) from Peru. Journal of Mammalogy , 53: 279-282.
Solari, S., R. Pine. 2008. Rediscovery and redescription of Marmosa ( Stegomarmosa ) andersoni Pine (Mammalia: Didelphimorphia: Didelphidae), an endemic Peruvian mouse opossum, with a reassessment of its affinities. Zootaxa , 1756: 49-61.