Monodelphis handleyi, Solari, 2007

Astúa, D., 2015, Didelphidae, Handbook of the Mammals of the World – Volume 5 Monotremes and Marsupials, Barcelona: Lynx Edicions, pp. 129-186 : 148

29.

Handley’s Short-tailed Opossum

Monodelphis handleyi

French: Opossum du Loreto / German: Handleys Spitzmausbeutelratte / Spanish: Colicorto de Handley

Taxonomy. Monodelphis handleyi Solari, 2007 ,

“ Centro de Investigaciones Jenaro Herrera , 2-8 km E ofJenaro Herrera,” Requena, Loreto, Peru.

This species is monotypic.

Distribution. NE Peru (between the Ucayali and Javary rivers in Requena, Loreto).

Descriptive notes. Head-body 12-4 cm, tail 6-8 cm (holotype); or head-body 12-3 cm, tail 6-9 cm (mean of five additional paratypes); weight 45-5-65 g. Dorsal fur of Handley’s Short-tailed Opossum is brownish, composed of gray-based buffy or brown hairs, and lacks any marked dorsal stripe or reddish or yellowish color on sides of body, although a faint darker midline is visible on only the holotype. Brownish fur extends onto head, which has no mid-rostralstripe or eye-rings. Tail length is ¢.55% of head-body length, and tail has fur on less than 5 mm dorsally and 8-10 mm ventrally. Naked part oftail is uncolored dark fuscous. Ventral fur is dull cream from chin to anus, with a conspicuous paler mid-ventral stripe that is wider on abdominal region. Fur is less than 5 mm. Feet are brownish. Female Handley’s Short-tailed Opossums probably lack a pouch, but no females have been collected, so number of mammae is unknown. Karyotype is unknown.

Habitat. Swampy and well-drained forests bordering primary and secondary forests, usually with some degree of disturbance (selective logging and exploitation), in areas with canopies of 25-30 m and dense understories with abundant palms.

Food and Feeding. There is no information available for this species.

Breeding. There is no information available for this species.

Activity patterns. There is no information available for this species.

Movements, Home range and Social organization. Based on collecting information available from existing specimens, Handley’s Short-tailed Opossum is ground dwelling, having been trapped in snap traps set on the ground or in pitfall traps.

Status and Conservation. Classified as Near Threatened on The IUCN Red List. Handley’s Short-tailed Opossum occurs in less than 20,000 km? and possible decline in its habitat appears to be sufficient to qualify it for a Vulnerable classification in the future. Because Handley’s Short-tailed Opossum is known from only a few specimens, further research is needed adequately qualify and quantify its population status and possible impacts of habitat degradation. Selective logging and exploitation in its extremely reduced distribution probably threaten Handley’s Short-tailed Opossum; as it only has been recorded in the Centro de Investigaciones Jenaro Herrera protected area.

Bibliography. Solari (2007).

Figures

65. Pygmy Opossum (Chacodelphys formosa), 66. Agricola’s Opossum (Cryptonanus agricola), 67. Chacoan Mouse Opossum (Cryptonanus chacoensis), 68. Guaiba Mouse Opossum (Cryptonanus guahybae), 69. Unduavi Mouse Opossum (Cryptonanus unduaviensis), 70. . Emilie’s. 9 Opossum.. Gracilinanus. (null), 71. Aceramarca Opossum (Gracilinanus aceramarcae), 72. Agile Opossum (Gracilinanus agilis), 73. Wood Sprite Opossum (Gracilinanus dryas), 74. Northern Gracile Opossum (Gracilinanus marica), 75. Brazilian Gracile Opossum (Gracilinanus microtarsus)

Distribution. NE Peru (between the Ucayali and Javary rivers in Requena, Loreto).