Caenolestes condorensis, Albuja & Patterson, 1996

Russell A. Mittermeier & Don E. Wilson, 2015, Caenolestidae, Handbook of the Mammals of the World – Volume 5 Monotremes and Marsupials, Barcelona: Lynx Edicions, pp. 188-197 : 195

2.

Condor Shrew-opossum

Caenolestes condorensis

French: Cénoleste du Condor / German: Anden-Opossummaus / Spanish: Raton marsupial del Condor

Other common names: Andean Caenolestid

Taxonomy. Caenolestes condorensis Albuja & Patterson, 1996 ,

“ Achupallas , camp on the upper plateau of the Cordillera del Condor, in the Provincia de Morona-Santiago, Ecuador, coordinates 3° 27° 03” S, 78° 29’ 9” W, elevation 2,080 m.”

This species is monotypic.

Distribution. Known only from the Cordillera del Condor, E slope of the Andes, on the border of Ecuador and Peru. This species may also occur in the nearby Tapichala Reserve in Zamora-Chinchipe, SW Ecuador.

Descriptive notes. Head—body 13-14 cm, tail 12-:3-13 cm, hindfoot 2.7-3 cm; weight 43-48 g. The Condor Shrew-opossum is sexually dimorphic in size, with males generally being larger than females. It possesses an inconspicuous pectoral spot on the dark grayish ventral pelage, large upper canines (reaching 3-5 mm in length), and a squared post-palatine torus. The Condor Shrew-opossum is the largest known species of shrew-opossum, with a skull length of more than 36 mm.

Habitat. Primarily ecotone between forested slopes with canopies 5-6 m in height and a cold, humid plateau dominated by a bromeliad-filled heath less than 1-5 m tall. The Condor Shrew-opossum occurs at elevations of ¢.2000 m, and unlike other species of shrew-opossums,it does not seem to be associated with steep montane forests.

Food and Feeding. There is no specific information for this species, but all three confirmed captures of the Condor Shrew-opossum were made using peanut butter and oatmeal baits in traps placed on the ground.

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. There is no information available for this species.

Status and Conservation. Classified as Vulnerable on The IUCN Red List. The Condor Shrew-opossum is known with certainty only from a single location (Achupallas), in a very specific habitat that is restricted to the Cordillera del Condor, a mountain range isolated from the main chain in the eastern Andes. There are no currently identified threats to the habitat. Further research is necessary to determine the ecology and complete extent of the distribution of the Condor Shrew-opossum.

Bibliography. Albuja & Patterson (1996), Ojala-Barbour et al. (2013), Tirira (2007, 2011).

Figures

1. Gray-bellied Shrew-opossum (Caenolestes caniventer), 2. Condor Shrew-opossum (Caenolestes condorensis), 3. Blackish Shrew-opossum (Caenolestes convelatus), 4. Dusky Shrew-opossum (Caenolestes fuliginosus), 5. Sangay Shrew-opossum (Caenolestes sangay), 6. Incan Shrew-opossum (Lestoros inca), 7. Long-nosed Shrew-opossum (Rhyncholestes raphanurus)

Distribution. Known only from the Cordillera del Condor, E slope of the Andes, on the border of Ecuador and Peru. This species may also occur in the nearby Tapichala Reserve in Zamora-Chinchipe, SW Ecuador.