Marmosa mexicana — Details

Geographic Range

From southern Mexico to Panama

Biogeographic Regions: neotropical (Native )

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Ecology

Habitat

Habitat and Ecology

Habitat and Ecology

This marsupial can be found in a variety of habitats, from dry deciduous forest to highland evergreen forest, second growth, and grassland. It also appears to tolerate plantations.

This nocturnal, solitary species is mainly arboreal, although it can occationally be caught on the ground, probably when traveling from one foraging area to another. It is active in understory, subcanopy, and canopy levels, to at least 30 m. Its diet includes insects and fruit. A nest was found inside a burrow on a bank in Veracruz (Hall and Dalquest, 1963); however, nests may be more commonly located above ground. Like other mouse opossums, this species is secretive and seldom seen, but it may be fairly common, as indicated by the predominance of its bone fragments in regurgitated pellets of Spectacled Owls (Timm et al., 1989).

Systems

Terrestrial

Source: IUCN

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Habitat

They live in moist to dry tropical forests. They are generally found close to the ground but rarely at ground level.

Terrestrial Biomes: forest ; rainforest ; scrub forest

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Trophic Strategy

Food Habits

This species generally eats insects and fruit but is also known to consume small rodents, lizards and birds' eggs.

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Life History and Behavior

Life Expectancy

Lifespan/Longevity

Average lifespan

Status: captivity: 7.0 years.

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Lifespan, longevity, and ageing

Observations: These animals have been reported to live up to 7 years in captivity (Bernhard Grzimek 1990). Other reports suggest they are much shorter-lived in captivity (Richard Weigl 2005). Their maximum longevity must be classified as unknown.

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Source: AnAge

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Reproduction

Unlike many marsupials, female Mexican mouse-opossums do not have pouches. Instead, females carry their young on their backs. Litters can be as large as thirteen, although most do not survive to maturity. Mothers generally eat those young that die in order to recapture some of the nutrients that they have invested.

Average gestation period: 14 days.

Average number of offspring: 11.

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Molecular Biology and Genetics

Molecular Biology

Barcode data: Marmosa mexicana

The following is a representative barcode sequence, the centroid of all available sequences for this species.

There are 2 barcode sequences available from BOLD and GenBank. Below is a sequence of the barcode region Cytochrome oxidase subunit 1 (COI or COX1) from a member of the species. See the BOLD taxonomy browser for more complete information about this specimen and other sequences.

ABSMS537-06|ROM 99778|Marmosa mexicana| ---------------------------------------ACACTATATTTATTATTTGGTGCTTGGGCAGGGATAGTAGGTACTGCTTTA---AGTTTATTGATTCGTGCTGAGTTAGGCCAACCAGGAACCCTAATTGGTGAT---GACCAGATTTATAATGTTATTGTTACTGCCCACGCTTTTGTTATAATTTTTTTTATAGTTATGCCTATTATAATTGGGGGTTTTGGCAATTGACTTGTTCCATTAATA---ATTGGCGCACCAGATATAGCTTTTCCACGAATAAATAATATAAGTTTCTGACTTCTTCCTCCCTCATTTTTATTACTTTTAGCATCTTCAACTGTAGAAGCGGGAGCTGGAACTGGTTGAACAGTTTATCCACCTTTAGCCGGTAATTTAGCTCATGCAGGAGCTTCAGTTGATTTA---GCTATTTTCTCTCTTCATTTAGCTGGAATTTCCTCCATCCTAGGAGCAATTAATTTTATTACTACAATTATTAATATAAAACCCCCTGCAATATCTCAATATCAAACTCCTTTATTTGTATGATCTGTAATAATTACAGCAGTCCTTCTACTACTCTCTCTTCCAGTCTTAGCTGCA---GGAATTACTATATTACTTACAGATCGAAATCTAAACACCACCTTTTTTGATCCTGCTGGCGGAGGTGATCCTATTCTATACCAACACTTA-------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
-- end --

Download FASTA File

Source: Barcode of Life Data Systems (BOLD)

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Statistics of barcoding coverage: Marmosa mexicana

Barcode of Life Data Systems (BOLDS) Stats
Public Records: 1
Species: 35
Species With Barcodes: 1

Source: Barcode of Life Data Systems (BOLD)

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Conservation

Conservation Status

IUCN Red List Assessment

Red List Category

Least Concern

Red List Criteria

Version

3.1

Year Assessed

2008

Assessor/s

Cuarón, A.D., Emmons, L., Helgen, K. & Reid, F.

Reviewer/s

Amori, G. (Small Nonvolant Mammal Red List Authority) & Schipper, J. (Global Mammal Assessment Team)

Justification

This species is listed as Least Concern in because of its wide distribution, presumed large population, tolerance of some degree of habitat modification, occurrence in a number of protected areas and because it is unlikely to be declining at nearly the rate required to qualify for listing in a threatened category.

History

1996

Lower Risk/least concern

(Baillie and Groombridge 1996)
1996

Lower Risk/least concern

Source: IUCN

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Conservation Status

Like all animals that depend on tropical forests, this species is in decline due to habitat destruction.

IUCN Red List of Threatened Species: least concern

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Trends

Population

Population

This species is locally common (Reid, 1997).

Population Trend

Stable

Source: IUCN

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Threats

Major Threats

No major threats are known.

Source: IUCN

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Management

Conservation Actions

Conservation Actions

Occurs in national parks as well as orchards, roadsides, etc.

Source: IUCN

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Relevance to Humans and Ecosystems

Benefits

Economic Importance for Humans: Negative

They may occasionally eat fruits that are being cultivated near the forests in which they live, but probably not in large quantities.

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Economic Importance for Humans: Positive

They may eat some harmful agricultural pests, although it is doubtful that they have a significant effect on the density of those pests.

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Wikipedia

Mexican mouse opossum

The Mexican mouse opossum (Marmosa mexicana) is a species of Central American opossum in the family Didelphidae.

1 Range
2 Habitat
3 Habits
4 References

Range

It is found in Belize, Costa Rica, El Salvador, Guatemala, Honduras, eastern Mexico as far north as Tamaulipas, Nicaragua, and western Panama at elevations from sea level up to 3000 m (at Volcán Tacaná); most commonly, it is found below 1800 m.^[2]

Habitat

This opossum is found in primary and secondary forest, including lowland tropical rainforest, dry deciduous forest, cloud forest, and plantations, as well as in grassland.^[2] An example of its habitat is the Petenes mangroves ecoregion of the Yucatán.^[3]

Habits

The species is primarily arboreal; it is found from ground level to heights of 30 m in the canopy. It is nocturnal and solitary. Its diet includes insects and fruit. It is believed to construct nests either in burrows or above ground.^[2]

References

^ Gardner, Alfred L. (16 November 2005). "Order Didelphimorphia (pp. 3-18)". In Wilson, Don E., and Reeder, DeeAnn M., eds. Mammal Species of the World: A Taxonomic and Geographic Reference (3rd ed.). Baltimore: Johns Hopkins University Press, 2 vols. (2142 pp.). p. 9. ISBN 978-0-8018-8221-0. OCLC 62265494. http://www.bucknell.edu/msw3/browse.asp?id=10400073.
^ ^a ^b ^c ^d Cuarón, A. D., Emmons, L., Helgen, K. & Reid, F. (2008). Marmosa mexicana. In: IUCN 2008. IUCN Red List of Threatened Species. Downloaded on 28 December 2008. Database entry includes justification for why this species is of least concern
^ World Wildlife Fund. 2010. Petenes mangroves. eds. Mark McGinley, C.Michael Hogan & C.Cleveland. Encyclopedia of Earth. National Council for Science and the Environment. Washington DC

Extant Didelphimorphia (Opossums) species

Kingdom Animalia · Phylum Chordata · Class Mammalia · Infraclass Marsupialia

Subfamily Caluromyinae

Caluromys (Woolly opossums)	Subgenus Caluromys: Bare-tailed Woolly Opossum (C. philander) Subgenus Mallodelphys: Derby's Woolly Opossum (C. derbianus) · Brown-eared Woolly Opossum (C. lanatus)

Caluromysiops	Black-shouldered Opossum (C. irrupta)

Glironia	Bushy-tailed Opossum (G. venusta)

Subfamily Didelphinae (cont. below)

Chacodelphys	Chacoan Pygmy Opossum (C. chacoensis)

Chironectes	Water Opossum (C. minimus)

Cryptonanus	Agricola's Gracile Opossum (C. agricolai) · Chacoan Gracile Opossum (C. chacoensis) · Guahiba Gracile Opossum (C. guahybae) · Unduavi Gracile Opossum (C. unduaviensis)

Didelphis (Large American opossums)	White-eared Opossum (D. albiventris) · Big-eared Opossum (D. aurita) · Guianan White-eared Opossum (D. imperfecta) · Common Opossum (D. marsupialis) · Andean White-eared Opossum (D. pernigra) · Virginia Opossum (D. virginiana)

Gracilinanus	Aceramarca Gracile Opossum (G. aceramarcae) · Agile Gracile Opossum (G. agilis) · Wood Sprite Gracile Opossum (G. dryas) · Emilia's Gracile Opossum (G. emilae) · Northern Gracile Opossum (G. marica) · Brazilian Gracile Opossum (G. microtarsus)

Hyladelphys	Kalinowski's Mouse Opossum (H. kalinowskii)

Lestodelphys	Patagonian Opossum (L. halli)

Lutreolina	Lutrine Opossum (L. crassicaudata)

Marmosa (Mouse opossums)	Alston's Mouse Opossum (M. alstoni) · Heavy-browed Mouse Opossum (M. andersoni) · White-bellied Woolly Mouse Opossum (M. constantiae) · Woolly Mouse Opossum (M. demerarae) · Isthmian Mouse Opossum (M. isthmica) · Rufous Mouse Opossum (M. lepida) · Mexican Mouse Opossum (M. mexicana) · Linnaeus's Mouse Opossum (M. murina) · Tate's Woolly Mouse Opossum (M. paraguayanus) · Little Woolly Mouse Opossum (M. phaeus) · Quechuan mouse opossum (M. quichua) · Bare-tailed Woolly Mouse Opossum (M. regina) Robinson's Mouse Opossum (M. robinsoni) · Red Mouse Opossum (M. rubra) · Tyler's Mouse Opossum (M. tyleriana) · Guajira Mouse Opossum (M. xerophila)

Marmosops	Bishop's Slender Opossum (M. bishopi) · Narrow-headed Slender Opossum (M. cracens) · Creighton's Slender Opossum (M. creightoni) · Dorothys' Slender Opossum (M. dorothea) · Dusky Slender Opossum (M. fuscatus) · Handley's Slender Opossum (M. handleyi) · Tschudi's Slender Opossum (M. impavidus) · Gray Slender Opossum (M. incanus) · Panama Slender Opossum (M. invictus) · Junin Slender Opossum (M. juninensis) · Neblina Slender Opossum (M. neblina) · White-bellied Slender Opossum (M. noctivagus) · Delicate Slender Opossum (M. parvidens) · Brazilian Slender Opossum (M. paulensis) · Pinheiro's Slender Opossum (M. pinheiroi)

Subfamily Didelphinae (cont. above)

Metachirus	Brown Four-eyed Opossum (M. nudicaudatus)

Monodelphis (Short-tailed opossums)	Sepia Short-tailed Opossum (M. adusta) · Northern Three-striped Opossum (M. americana) · Northern Red-sided Opossum (M. brevicaudata) · Yellow-sided Opossum (M. dimidiata) · Gray Short-tailed Opossum (M. domestica) · Emilia's Short-tailed Opossum (M. emiliae) · Amazonian Red-sided Opossum (M. glirina) · Ihering's Three-striped Opossum (M. iheringi) · Pygmy Short-tailed Opossum (M. kunsi) · Marajó Short-tailed Opossum (M. maraxina) · Osgood's Short-tailed Opossum (M. osgoodi) · Hooded Red-sided Opossum (M. palliolata) · Reig's Opossum (M. reigi) · Ronald's Opossum (M. ronaldi) · Chestnut-striped Opossum (M. rubida) · Long-nosed Short-tailed Opossum (M. scalops) · Southern Red-sided Opossum (M. sorex) · Southern Three-striped Opossum (M. theresa) · Red Three-striped Opossum (M. umbristriata) · One-striped Opossum (M. unistriata)

Philander (Gray & black four- eyed opossums)	Anderson's Four-eyed Opossum (P. andersoni) · Deltaic Four-eyed Opossum (P. deltae) · Southeastern Four-eyed Opossum (P. frenatus) · McIlhenny's Four-eyed Opossum (P. mcilhennyi) · Mondolfi's Four-eyed Opossum (P. mondolfii) · Olrog's Four-eyed Opossum (P. olrogi) · Gray Four-eyed Opossum (P. opossum)

Thylamys	Cinderella Fat-tailed Mouse Opossum (T. cinderella) · Elegant Fat-tailed Mouse Opossum (T. elegans) · Karimi's Fat-tailed Mouse Opossum (T. karimii) · Paraguayan Fat-tailed Mouse Opossum (T. macrurus) · White-bellied Fat-tailed Mouse Opossum (T. pallidior) · Common Fat-tailed Mouse Opossum (T. pusillus) · Argentine Fat-tailed Mouse Opossum (T. sponsorius) · Tate's Fat-tailed Mouse Opossum (T. tatei) · Dwarf Fat-tailed Mouse Opossum (T. velutinus) · Buff-bellied Fat-tailed Mouse Opossum (T. venustus)

Tlacuatzin	Gray Mouse Opossum (T. canescens)

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