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The nine species in the genus Philander, commonly known as gray and black four-eyed opossums, are members of the order Didelphimorphia. Mature females have a well-developed marsupium . 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 gray four-eyed opossum has an omnivorous diet containing fruits, nectar, insects, small mammals (such as mice), birds, reptiles, amphibians, crustaceans, snails, and earthworms. [6] Its diet varies depending on the season. [6] With such a varied diet, the gray four-eyed opossum will both encounter and eat venomous snakes.
The extinct Thylophorops, the largest known opossum at 4–7 kg (8.8–15.4 lb), was a macropredator. [ 24 ] [ 25 ] [ 26 ] Most opossums are scansorial , well-adapted to life in the trees or on the ground, but members of the Caluromyinae and Glironiinae are primarily arboreal, whereas species of Metachirus , Monodelphis , and to a lesser degree ...
Similar to many early marsupials, this species was originally described in the genus Didelphis. [4] This species was considered a valid species until 1935, when the Brazilian zoologist Alípio de Miranda-Ribeiro would consider it a subspecies of the gray four-eyed opossum. [3]
It is a large dark gray opossum. Dorsal fur is dark gray, and the fur on the sides is also gray, but lighter than the dorsal fur. The ventral fur is white or cream-colored. The hairs on the throat have gray bases, but are divided in two by a cream-colored vertical stripe going along the midline of the throat. Its fur is short.
Although this species was initially described as a valid species, it was considered a subspecies of the gray four-eyed opossum until 2018. [2] Some sources, such as the American Society of Mammalogists, consider Philander mondolfii and Philander olrogi to be junior synonyms of this species. [3] [2] It is not recognized by the IUCN.
A northern four-eyed opossum from Coatzacoalcos, Veracruz, Mexico. These species are relatively light-furred for a Philander, with gray colors throughout the back, neck, base of the tail, and outer side of the limbs. The head can have some gray colors but tends to be darker, closer to black.
Gray and black four-eyed opossum, genus Philander This page was last edited on 2 January 2024, at 22:35 (UTC). Text is available under the Creative Commons ...