The pygmy short-tailed opossum, scientifically named Monodelphis kunsi, is an opossum species from South America. M. kunsi is a marsupial from the family Didelphidae of the order Didelphimorphia. Although it is a marsupial, it lacks the characteristic pouch that is often associated with this order. It is found in Argentina, Bolivia, Brazil and Paraguay. M. kunsi is considered a smaller species within the family Didelphidae, which is why it is named a pygmy opossum. The young are referred to as 'joeys'. The females are referred to as 'Jill,' and the males 'jack'. It was thought to have been endangered in 2001, but has since been moved to least concern by the International Union for Conservation of Nature.
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CarnivoreA carnivore meaning 'meat eater' is an organism that derives its energy and nutrient requirements from a diet consisting mainly or exclusively of a...
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InsectivoresAn insectivore is a carnivorous plant or animal that eats insects. An alternative term is entomophage, which also refers to the human practice of e...
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OmnivoreAn omnivore is an animal that has the ability to eat and survive on both plant and animal matter. Obtaining energy and nutrients from plant and ani...
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TerrestrialTerrestrial animals are animals that live predominantly or entirely on land (e.g., cats, ants, snails), as compared with aquatic animals, which liv...
Among animals, viviparity is the development of the embryo inside the body of the parent. The term 'viviparity' and its adjective form 'viviparous'...
Arboreal locomotion is the locomotion of animals in trees. In habitats in which trees are present, animals have evolved to move in them. Some anima...
Altricial animals are those species whose newly hatched or born young are relatively immobile. They lack hair or down, are not able to obtain food ...
A burrow is a hole or tunnel excavated into the ground by an animal to create a space suitable for habitation, temporary refuge, or as a byproduct ...
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starts withMonodelphis kunsi is a terrestrial marsupial that inhabits a wide range of habitats within South America. It has been documented in southern and eastern parts of Bolivia, eastern Paraguay, western, central and southeastern Brazil, and in the northern parts of Argentina. It is thought that due to the species wide and fragmented distribution that the specimens documented as M. kunsi may actually be a complex of species. A study conducted by Caceres et al. from the year 2000 to 2008 documented M. kunsi at all altitudes of two designated localities in the Urucum Mountains of western Brazil. The study monitored altitudes ranging from 150 meters to over 1000 meters. The findings suggested that while the opossum was found at all altitudes, it is a grassland specialist in that region. M. kunsi is also found in the Rio Lipeo department of Tarija, Bolivia, which is between 200 m and 640 m in elevation. They are generally encountered in shrub forests of 6–12 m in height in Paraguay. M. kunsi is found in a variety of habitats ranging from forested or wooded areas, to dry Cerrado savannahs, and even Amazonian rain forest.
Monodelphis kunsi is still a relatively unknown species with few publications on its behavior and ecology. The species is thought to be insectivorous due to their occlusal dentition, general skull shape, and skull size. M. kunsi lacks enlarged canines, and their posterior incisors are bigger than their first upper pair of incisors. When it comes to being preyed upon, one study documented M. kunsi as a lesser choice of prey by the maned wolf - Chrysocyon brachyurus, the barn owl - Tyto alba, and the burrowing owl - Athene cunicularia in a savannah preserve located in southeastern Brazil. Little is known about the reproductive behaviors in M. kunsi ; however, other Monodelphis species are known to be semelparous breeders, so it possible that this species is as well. More research is needed to understand the basic reproductive behavior of M. kunsi before any assumptions can be made.