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Life-forms

Superregnum: Eukaryota
Cladus: Unikonta
Cladus: Opisthokonta
Cladus: Holozoa
Regnum: Animalia
Subregnum: Eumetazoa
Cladus: Bilateria
Cladus: Nephrozoa
Superphylum: Deuterostomia
Phylum: Chordata
Subphylum: Vertebrata
Infraphylum: Gnathostomata
Megaclassis: Osteichthyes
Cladus: Sarcopterygii
Cladus: Rhipidistia
Cladus: Tetrapodomorpha
Cladus: Eotetrapodiformes
Cladus: Elpistostegalia
Superclassis: Tetrapoda
Cladus: Reptiliomorpha
Cladus: Amniota
Cladus: Synapsida
Cladus: Eupelycosauria
Cladus: Sphenacodontia
Cladus: Sphenacodontoidea
Cladus: Therapsida
Cladus: Theriodontia
Cladus: Cynodontia
Cladus: Eucynodontia
Cladus: Probainognathia
Cladus: Prozostrodontia
Cladus: Mammaliaformes
Classis: Mammalia
Subclassis: Trechnotheria
Infraclassis: Zatheria
Supercohors: Theria
Cladus: Metatheria
Cladus: Marsupialiformes
Cohors: Marsupialia
Ordo: Didelphimorphia

Familia: Didelphidae
Subfamilia: Didelphinae
Tribus: Metachirini
Genus: Metachirus
Species: Metachirus nudicaudatus
Name

Metachirus nudicaudatus (É. Geoffroy Saint-Hilaire, 1803)

Holotype: MNHN 1990-420, adult ♀, mounted skin and skull, collected by Martin.
Type locality: “L'Amérique méridionale”, labeled as “Cayenne”, French Guiana.

Combinations

Didelphis nudicaudata É. Geoffroy St.-Hilaire, 1803: 142 [original combination]
Didelphis nudicauda Lesson, 1827: 212 [subsequent combination, incorrect subsequent spelling]
Philander nudicaudus Gray, 1843: 100 [subsequent combination, incorrect subsequent spelling]
Didelphys (Metachirus) nudicaudata: Trouessart, 1898: 1236 [subsequent combination]
Philander nudicaudatus: Pine, 1973: 391 [subsequent combination]

References
Primary references

[Geoffroy Saint-Hilaire, É. 1803.] Catalogue des mammifères du Museum National d'Histoire Naturelle. [Paris.] MDZ Reference page.

Links

IUCN: Metachirus nudicaudatus (Least Concern)

Vernacular names
English: Guianan Brown Four-eyed Opossum
suomi: Nelisilmäopossumi
polski: Opos nagoogonowy

The brown four-eyed opossum (Metachirus nudicaudatus) is a pouchless marsupial[3] of the family Didelphidae. It is found in different forested habitats of Central and South America,[2] from Nicaragua to Brazil and northern Argentina,[1] including southeastern Colombia, Paraguay and eastern Peru and Bolivia, at elevations from sea level to 1,500 m (4,900 ft).[2] It is the only recognized species in the genus Metachirus,[1] but molecular phylogenetics studies suggest that it should probably be split into several species.[2] Population densities are usually low, and it is uncommon in parts of Central America.[2] A density of 25.6/km2 (66/sq mi) was reported near Manaus, Brazil.[3] Its karyotype has 2n = 14 and FN = 24.[3]

It is a nocturnal, solitary,[2] strongly terrestrial and omnivorous animal, feeding on fruits, small vertebrates and invertebrates.[3]

The brown four-eyed opossum builds nests made of leaves and twigs in tree branches or under rocks and logs.[4] It is seasonally polyestrous and the litter size varies from one to nine.[3]

The white spot over each eye inspired the common name of "four-eyed opossum". Its scaly tail is longer than its body.[3]

The opossum is mostly insectivorous,[5] though it also consumes some types of fruit seeds, small vertebrates like birds and reptiles and invertebrates like crayfish and snails.[6] The brown four-eyed opossum is a host of the acanthocephalan intestinal parasite Gigantorhynchus ortizi.[7]
References

Gardner, A.L. (2005). "Order Didelphimorphia". In Wilson, D.E.; Reeder, D.M (eds.). Mammal Species of the World: A Taxonomic and Geographic Reference (3rd ed.). Johns Hopkins University Press. p. 12. ISBN 978-0-8018-8221-0. OCLC 62265494.
Brito, D.; Astúa, D.; Lew, D.; de la Sancha, N. (2021). "Metachirus nudicaudatus". IUCN Red List of Threatened Species. 2021: e.T40509A197311536. doi:10.2305/IUCN.UK.2021-1.RLTS.T40509A197311536.en. Retrieved 11 November 2021.
Eisenberg, John F.; Redford, Kent H. (May 15, 2000). Mammals of the Neotropics, Volume 3: The Central Neotropics: Ecuador, Peru, Bolivia, Brazil. University of Chicago Press. pp. 77–78. ISBN 978-0-226-19542-1. OCLC 493329394.
Bies, L. (2002). "Metachirus nudicaudatus". Animal Diversity Web. University of Michigan Museum of Zoology. Retrieved 2012-01-13.
Cáceres, N.C. (2004). "Diet of three didelphid marsupials (Mammalia, Didelphimorphia) in southern Brazil". Mammalian Biology. 69 (6): 430–433. Bibcode:2004MamBi..69..430C. doi:10.1078/1616-5047-00165.
Gardner, Alfred L.; Dagosto, Marian (2007). "Tribe Metachirini Reig, Kirsch, and Marshall, 1985". In Gardner, Alfred L. (ed.). Mammals of South America. Vol. 1. University of Chicago Press. pp. 35–39. ISBN 978-0-226-28240-4.
Nascimento Gomes, Ana Paula; Cesário, Clarice Silva; Olifiers, Natalie; de Cassia Bianchi, Rita; Maldonado, Arnaldo; Vilela, Roberto do Val (December 2019). "New morphological and genetic data of Gigantorhynchus echinodiscus (Diesing, 1851) (Acanthocephala: Archiacanthocephala) in the giant anteater Myrmecophaga tridactyla Linnaeus, 1758 (Pilosa: Myrmecophagidae)". International Journal for Parasitology: Parasites and Wildlife. 10: 281–288. Bibcode:2019IJPPW..10..281N. doi:10.1016/j.ijppaw.2019.09.008. PMC 6906829. PMID 31867208.

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