Genus Caluromys
"Woolly" Opossums
Caluromys Pictures
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The scientific names are from the photo's original source (though I corrected some of the spelling or family names).
About Caluromys
The three Caluromys opossums are called "woolly" opossums. They are nocturnal, omnivorous and arboreal. They are found throughout Mexico and Central America south to Bolivia, Paraguay and northern Argentina.
In taxonomy, they were originally called "Didelphis" (Linnaeus, 1758). According to the Smithsonian, synonyms for "Caluromys" include "Sarigua" (Muirhead 1819), "Philander" (Burmeister 1856) and "Mallodelphys" (Thomas 1920).
Their fur is woolly and covers 1/2 or more of their tail length. The tail itself is longer than the body plus head length combined, making them more arboreal than most other opossums of large size. The dark stripe on the face between ears and eyes is very distinctive. They live generally in forests, near streams and water. They nest with leaves and vines in tree hollows and tree limbs. Their diet includes carrion, fruit, insects, leaves, vegetables and vertebrates.
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Caluromys derbianus
(Waterhouse, 1841)
Names
According to the Smithsonian, Caluromys derbianus has 8 synonyms: aztecus (Thomas 1903), canus (Matschie 1917), centralis (Hollister 1914), fervidus (Thomas 1913), pictus (Thomas 1913), pulcher (Matschie 1917), pyrrhus (Thomas 1901), senex (Thomas 1913)
- English: Central American Woolly Opossum
- English: Derby's pale-eared woolly opossum
- English: Western Woolly Opossum
- Czech: vačice Derbyho
- French: Opossum laineux à oreilles pâles de Derby
- French: Opossum laineux à oreilles pâles d'Amérique centrale
- Russian: ПУШИСТЫЙ ОПОССУМ
- Spanish: Filandro Centroamericano
- Spanish: Tlacuache Dorado
- Spanish: Zorro de Balsa
- Spanish: Zorra Roja
These opossums are found in Belize, Colombia (West), Costa Rica, Ecuador (West), Guatemala, Honduras, Mexico, Nicaragua and Panama. They are uncommon but not rare in the wild, and while not currently endangered they may be vulnerable. They are nocturnal and omnivorous, hunting for insects, fruit and rodents in the evening. They reach sexual maturity at 7-9 months and were reported to have litter sizes of 2-4 in Nicaragua and 3-4 in Panama.
These opossums are compared to primates in Primate Adaptation and Evolution:
"Thus, Rasmussen (1990) conducted a field study of the neotropical marsupial Caluromys derbianus, a didelphid that shows striking anatomical similarities to primates in having a relatively large brain, a nearly complete postorbital bar, a relatively short snout, and primate-like proportions in its (clawed) digits. Similarly, in a study of the hand morphology and grasping abilities of marsupials and prosimian primates, Lemelin (1995) found that Caluromys was strikingly similar to small prosimians such as Cheirogaleus and Microcebus in details of digital proportions and grasping and manipulation."
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Caluromys lanatus
(Illiger, 1815)
The Smithsonian lists these synonyms for "Caluromys lanatus" including; antioquiae, bartletti, cahyensis, cicur, jivaro, juninensis, lanigera, meridensis, modesta, nattereri, ochropus, ornata and vitalina.
Names
- English: Western Woolly Opossum
- English: Brown-Eared Woolly Opossum
- Czech: vačice huňatá
- French: Opossum laineux à oreilles marrons
- Russian: ГУСТОШЕРСТНЫЙ ОПОССУМ
- Spanish: Filandro Lanoso
- Spanish: Raposa Lanuda de Occidente
- Spanish: Zarigüeyita Lanuda
- Portuguese: Cuíca-Lanosa
These opossums are found in Argentina (North - Misiones Province), Bolivia (East), Brazil (Southeast, Southwest and West), Colombia (North and Central), Ecuador (East), Guyana, Peru (East), Paraguay (East and South, Caazapá) and Venezuela (Northwest and South). They are uncommon but not rare in the wild, and while not endangered they may be near threatened.
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Caluromys philander
(Linnaeus, 1758)
Names
The Smithsonian lists these synonyms for "Caluromys philander" including; affinis, cajopolin, cayopollin, dichura, leucurus, trinitatis and venezuelae.
- English: Bare-Tailed Woolly Opossum
- Czech: vačice vlnatá
- French: Opossum laineux à queue nue
- German: Gelbe Wollbeutelratte
- Russian: ЖЕЛТЫЙ ОПОССУМ
- Spanish: Filandro Pardusco
- Spanish: Zarigüeyita
- Spanish: Raposa
- Portuguese: Cuíca-Lanosa
These opossums are found in Brazil, French Guiana, Guyana, Suriname, Trinidad & Tobago and Venezuela. They are uncommon but not rare in the wild, and while not endangered they may be near threatened. Their body size is about 170 grams. (Olifers, 2004). The longest recorded lifespan in captivity is 6.3 years (Carey & Judge, 2001). They can have at least 3 litters a year of 1-7 young. Their 25 day gestational period may be the longest of all opossums. Nursing lasts 3 months and weaning occurs around 4 months.
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