Derby's woolly opossum | |
---|---|
Conservation status | |
Scientific classification | |
Kingdom: | Animalia |
Phylum: | Chordata |
Class: | Mammalia |
Order: | Didelphimorphia |
Family: | Didelphidae |
Genus: | Caluromys |
Species: | C. derbianus |
Binomial name | |
Caluromys derbianus (Waterhouse, 1841) |
|
Derby's woolly opossum range |
Derby's woolly opossum (Caluromys derbianus), or the Central American woolly opossum, is a species of opossum in the family Didelphidae.[2][3] It is found in the Central American region.
Contents |
C. derbianus is primarily arboreal and lives in highland and lowland rain forests of Belize, Colombia, Costa Rica, Ecuador, Guatemala, Honduras, Mexico, Nicaragua, and Panama. It is found at altitudes up to 2,600 m (8,500 ft).[1] The species is threatened by deforestation.
C. derbianus weighs between 200 and 400 grams (7.1 and 14 oz). Its fur coloration varies geographically but often possess a dark strip running from the top of the head to the nose. The digits of the paws are clawed with the exception of the opposable thumb. The prehensile tail makes up two thirds of the length of the animal with the distal half of the tail being naked.
This opossum reaches sexual maturity at seven to nine months. The mating season varies regionally from year-round to only during the dry season (January to July). The litter size is 3-6 live young that attach to a teat in the pouch until mature enough to emerge.
They are omnivorous although their eating habits have not been well studied in the wild.