Gray Four-eyed Opossum

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iGray Four-eyed Opossum
Conservation status
Least concern (LR/lc)
Scientific classification
Kingdom: Animalia Phylum: Chordata Class: Mammalia Order: Didelphimorphia Family: Didelphidae Genus: Philander Species: P. opossum
Binomial name
Philander opossum Linnaeus, 1758
Subspecies
P. o. canus P. o. fuscogriseus P. o. melanuris P. o. opossum

The Gray Four-eyed Opossum, Philander opossum, is an opossum species from Central and South America. It is found most commonly in Argentina, Paraguay and Mexico.

The species has a sharply defined white spot above each eye and, also, a bicolored tail, with a white distal part and a longer proximal darker one. It's a solitary arboreal animal found in moist areas, although it wanders in many different vegetation types. The females give birth from 2 to 7 young.

Gray Four-eyed Opossums do not have a well defined territory, and home range stability depends on the availability of adequate resources. They feed basically on small animals (vertebrates and invertebrates) and, secondarily, on fruits.

[edit] References

• New World Marsupial Specialist Group (1996). Philander opossum. 2006 IUCN Red List of Threatened Species. IUCN 2006. Retrieved on 12 May 2006.
• John F. Eisenberg and Kent H. Redford, 2000. Mammals of Neotropics: Ecuador, Bolivia and Brazil.
• Gardner, Alfred (November 16, 2005). Wilson, D. E., and Reeder, D. M. (eds): Mammal Species of the World, 3rd edition, Johns Hopkins University Press, 16-17. ISBN 0-801-88221-4.