Genus Monodelphis

"Short-Tailed" Opossums

1. Monodelphis adusta
2. Monodelphis americana
3. Monodelphis brevicaudata
4. Monodelphis dimidiata
5. Monodelphis domestica
6. Monodelphis emiliae
7. Monodelphis iheringi
8. Monodelphis kunsi
9. Monodelphis maraxina
10. Monodelphis osgoodi
11. Monodelphis rubida
12. Monodelphis scalops
13. Monodelphis sorex
14. Monodelphis theresa
15. Monodelphis unistriata

Monodelphis adusta (Pampas del Heath, Peru) Photo from Louise H. Emmons	Monodelphis americana Photo from Universidade Bandeirante de Sao Paulo	Monodelphis brevicaudata Photo from Cynthia Steiner	Monodelphis domestica Photo from Paul Samallow, SFBM	Monodelphis emiliae (Pando, Bolivia) Photo from Louise H. Emmons
Monodelphis kunsi (Flor de Oro, Bolivia) Photo from Louise H. Emmons	Monodelphis osgoodi (Vilcamba, Peru) Photo from Louise H. Emmons	Monodelphis scalops Photo from Planet-Mammiferes.org

Monodelphis adusta

(Thomas, 1897)

Names

• English: Sepia short-tailed opossum
• English: Andean short-tailed opossum
• Czech: vačice andská
• Esperanto: monodelfo norda
• Spanish: Colicorto Andino
• Spanish: Marsupial Sepia de Cola Corta

These opossums are found in Bolivia, Colombia, Ecuador, Panama and Peru.

Their body size is about 35 grams. (Olifers, 2004).

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Monodelphis americana

(Müller, 1776)

Names

• English: Three-striped short-tailed opossum
• English: Northern three-striped opossum
• Czech: vačice třípásá (syn. vakorejsek třípásý)
• Esperanto: monodelfo tristria
• German: Dreistreifenspitzmausbeutelratte
• Portuguese: Cuíca-de-Três-Listas
• Spanish: Colicorto de Azara

These opossums are found in Brazil.

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Monodelphis brevicaudata

(Erxleben, 1777)

Names

• English: Rojas Red-legged short-tailed opossum
• English: Northern Red-sided short-tailed opossum
• English: Red-legged Short-tailed Opossum
• Czech: Vačice červenoboká
• Esperanto: monodelfo kurtvosta
• Portuguese: Catita
• Spanish: Colicorto de Patas
• Spanish: Un Colicorto Marsupial

These opossums are found in Argentina, Bolivia, Brazil, Colombia, French Guiana, Guyana, Peru, Suriname and Venezuela.

Their body size is about 84 grams. (Olifers, 2004).

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Monodelphis dimidiata

(Wagner, 1847)

Names

• English: Eastern short-tailed opossum
• English: Southern short-tailed opossum
• English: Yellow-sided short-tailed opossum
• Czech: Vačice krátkoocasá
• Esperanto: monodelfo duona
• Portuguese: Catita
• Spanish: Colicorto Pampeano
• Spanish: Colicorto Oriental

These opossums are found in Argentina, Brazil and Uruguay. Their population is considered near threatened. Their body size is about 51 grams. (Olifers, 2004). These opossums seem to have a short lifespan and are semelparous, meaning they reproduce once and die shortly afterwards. In the wild, males die shortly after the reproductive season and females die in late summer after weaning their one litter of young. Semelparity is very rare in mammals, though more common in fish, plants and invertebrates. One mother is reported to have given birth to 16 young.

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Monodelphis domestica

(Wagner, 1842)

Names

• English: Gray short-tailed opossum
• Czech: Vačice krysí
• Dutch: grijze of gewone kortstaartopossum
• Esperanto: monodelfo doma
• Finnish: kotipäästäisopossumi
• German: Haus-Spitzmausbeutelratte
• Portuguese: Catita
• Spanish: Colicorto Doméstico
• Spanish: Un Colicorto Marsupial

These opossums are found in Bolivia, Brazil and Paraguay.

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Monodelphis emiliae

(Thomas, 1912)

Names

• English: Emilia's short-tailed opossum
• English: Amazonian short-tailed opossum
• Czech: Vačice amazónská
• Esperanto: monodelfo amazona
• Portuguese: Catita
• Spanish: Colicorto de Emilia
• Spanish: Colicorto Marsupial de Emelia

These opossums are found in Boliva, Brazil and Peru.

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Monodelphis iheringi

(Thomas, 1888)

Names

• English: Flat-headed short-tailed opossum
• English: Ihering's short-tailed opossum
• Czech: Vačice plochohlavá
• Esperanto: monodelfo iheringa
• Finnish: lyhythäntäpäästäisopossumi
• Spanish: Un Colicorto Marsupial
• Spanish: Colicorto Estriado
• Spanish: Colicorto de Ihering
• Spanish: Un Colicorto Marsupial
• Portuguese: Catita

These opossums are found in Argentina and Brazil.

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Monodelphis kunsi

(Pine, 1975)

Names

• English: Least Short-Tailed Opossum
• English: Pygmy Short-Tailed Opossum
• Czech: vačice Kunsova
• Esperanto: monodelfo kunsa
• Finnish: kunsinpäästäisopossumi
• German: Kuns-Spitzmausbeutelratte
• Spanish: Colicorto Pigmeo

These opossums are found in Bolivia and Brazil. They are named after Dr. Merle L. Kuns.

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Monodelphis maraxina

(Thomas, 1923)

Names

• English: Marajó short-tailed opossum
• Czech: vačice marachóská
• Esperanto: monodelfo amazondelta
• Portuguese: Catita
• Spanish: Colicorto de Marajo
• Spanish: Un Colicorto Marsupial

These opossums are found only in Brazil.

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Monodelphis osgoodi

(Doutt, 1938)

Names

• English: Highland Short-Tailed Opossum
• English: Osgood's Short-Tailed Opossum
• Czech: vačice vysokohorská
• Esperanto: monodelfo osgoda
• Spanish: Colicorto de Osgood

These opossums are found in Bolivia and Peru.

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Monodelphis rubida

(Thomas, 1936)

Names

• English: Faint-striped short-tailed opossum
• English: Chestnut-striped short-tailed opossum
• Czech: vačice slabopruhá
• Portuguese: Catita
• Spanish: Un Colicorto Marsupial
• Spanish: Colicorto Castaño

These opossums are found only in Brazil. They are considered vulnerable to extinction.

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Monodelphis scalops

(Thomas, 1888)

Names

• English: Long-nosed short-tailed opossum
• English: Long-snouted short-tailed opossum
• English: Red-headed short-tailed opossum
• Czech: vačice rudohlavá
• Esperanto: monodelfo ruĝkapa
• Portuguese: Catita
• Spanish: Colicorto de Cabeza Roja
• Spanish: Un Colicorto Marsupial

These opossums are found only in Brazil.

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Monodelphis sorex

(Hensel, 1872)

Names

• English: Shrewish short-tailed opossum
• English: Dwarf short-tailed opossum
• English: Southern Red-sided short-tailed opossum
• Czech: vačice rejsčí
• Esperanto: monodelfo sorika
• Portuguese: Catita
• Spanish: Colicorto Musaraña
• Spanish: Un Colicorto Marsupial

These opossums are found in Argentina, Brazil and Paraguay. Their population is considered vulnerable to extinction.

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Monodelphis theresa

(Thomas, 1921)

Names

• English: Southern short-tailed opossum
• English: Three-striped short-tailed opossum
• English: Theresa's short-tailed opossum
• Czech: vačice třípruhá
• Esperanto: monodelfo orienta
• Portuguese: Catita
• Spanish: Colicorto de Theresa
• Spanish: Un Colicorto Marsupial

These opossums are found in Brazil and Peru.

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Monodelphis unistriata

(Wagner, 1842)

Names

• English: One-striped short-tailed opossum
• English: Single-striped short-tailed opossum
• English: Southern three-striped opossum
• Czech: vačice jednopruhá
• Esperanto: monodelfo unustria
• Portuguese: Catita
• Spanish: Colicorto Rayado
• Spanish: Un Colicorto Marsupial

These opossum are found only in Brazil. Their population is considered vulnerable to extinction.

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Last modified: 05-Mar-2007