Philander andersoni (Osgood, 1913)

Astúa, D., 2015, Didelphidae, Handbook of the Mammals of the World – Volume 5 Monotremes and Marsupials, Barcelona: Lynx Edicions, pp. 129-186 : 165-166

59.

Anderson’s Four-eyed Opossum

Philander andersoni

French: Opossum de I'Orénoque / German: Andersons Vieraugenbeutelratte / Spanish: Filandro de Anderson

Other common names: Black Foureyed Opossum

Taxonomy. Metachirus anderson: Osgood, 1913 ,

“ Yurimaguas , [Loreto], Peru.”

This species is monotypic.

Distribution. SE Colombia, SC Venezuela (Bolivar, Amazonas), W Brazil (Amazonas, Acre), E Ecuador, and N & C Peru (S to Ayacucho) E of the Andes.

Descriptive notes. Head-body 22-3— 30-7 cm, tail 25.5-33.2 cm; weight 225— 600 g. Dorsal fur of Anderson’s Four-eyed Opossum is dark gray, and there is conspicuous mid-dorsal black stripe c.3—4 cm wide from neck to base of tail, contrasting with gray body sides. Head has creamy cheeks and large, distinct creamy supraocular spots; there is no mid-rostral stripe. Tail length is ¢.110% of head-body length, tail has fur on ¢.18% of its length, and distal one-third of naked rest oftail is white. Ventral fur is creamy to gray-based or pale gray. Fur is dense and ¢.10 mm long. Feet are black, and ears are pale brown, with a pale cream spot at their bases. Females have a complete pouch that opens forward, with seven mammae, three on each side and a medial mamma. Karyotype of Anderson’s Four-eyed Opossum is unknown. Skull shapeis sexually dimorphic.

Habitat. Mature and disturbed lowland Amazonian rainforest.

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

Breeding. In Peru, a young female Anderson’s Four-eyed Opossum was collected with four pouch young in March, and a slightly older female was collected in July. Nursing females with litters of two young were captured in April and October in Peru, and three other nursing females, two with litters of four young and the other with a litter of two young, were captured in March, May, and July.

Activity patterns. There is no specific information available for this species, but Anderson’s Four-eyed Opossum is reported to be nocturnal.

Movements, Home range and Social organization. There is no specific information available for this species, but all specimens of Anderson’s Four-eyed Opossum from Peru were captured in traps set on the ground.

Status and Conservation. Classified as Least Concern on The IUCN Red List. Anderson’s Four-eyed Opossum has a wide distribution and presumably a large overall population.

Bibliography. Astua (2010), Astua et al. (2001), Castro-Arellano et al. (2000), Chemisquy & Flores (2012), Diaz (2014), Diaz & Flores (2008), Eisenberg & Redford (1999), Emmons & Feer (1997), Fleck & Harder (1995), Gardner (2005), Hershkovitz (1997), Hice (2001), Nunes et al. (2006), Patton & da Silva (1997, 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. SE Colombia, SC Venezuela (Bolivar, Amazonas), W Brazil (Amazonas, Acre), E Ecuador, and N & C Peru (S to Ayacucho) E of the Andes.