Robinson's Mouse Opossum

About the Robinson's Mouse Opossum

Robinson's mouse opossum (Marmosa robinsoni) is a species of opossum in the family Didelphidae. It is found in Belize, Colombia, Ecuador, Grenada, Honduras, Panama, Peru, Trinidad and Tobago, and Venezuela. Robinson's mouse opossums move along tree branches and vines with the help of a prehensile tail and may leap between gaps as they search for fruit and insects. The species is named after Wirt Robinson, the collector of the specimen from which it was first described.

Marmosa robinsoni is typically cinnamon brown with a yellow underside. Its dorsal color varies from russet to gray. The top of the head is generally paler in color than the rest of the body. The black facial mask is always present but varies in size according to the region of that individual. It possesses a prehensile tail about 1.3 times its body length, which is covered in fine white hairs. Its feet are modified for grasping with pads and an opposable hallux.

The species was originally collected on Margarita Island, Venezuela. It occupies a variety of habitats from sea level to 2,600 m elevation, including lowland and montane moist forests, lowland dry forests, mangroves, savannas, and... Wikipedia →