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Mouse opossum (Thylamys pallidior)

This close-up belongs to a singular species which inhabits the arid lands of our country and has become a key image representing this event.

Mouse opossums are small marsupials recognized by their big eyes, broad ears, pointed snout and tri-coloured pelage. Unlike other marsupials, they do not have a pouch which protects their young during the last development stage outside the mother’s womb. Their offspring are numerous, around 14 pups per litter, which stay in the nest until they become independent. These animals are nocturnal, and can skilfully move about the ground as well as through trees and shrubs thanks to their opposable thumb and prehensile tail. They feed mainly on small invertebrates, a habit that makes them one of the few insectivorous mammals in our deserts.

Mouse opossums are endemic to South America and inhabit mostly the deserts or arid areas of the continent, in contrast to most of the marsupials in the region which occupy moist forests and woodlands. Moreover, Thylamys pallidior is the species with the broadest distribution range in the genus, occurring at elevations above 3000 m in the Andes of Peru, Bolivia, Chile and Argentina, and down to the lowland Patagonian steppe. Despite its peculiarity and widespread occurrence across the continent, nowadays the ecology and natural history of this interesting group of mammals are poorly known.

Collaborated with graphic files on this page:

BENDER José Benjamin, ROSALES Daniel, ALBANESE Soledad, NOVILLO Agustina, OVEJERO Ramiro, RODRIGUEZ Daniela, OJEDA Ricardo, BORRUEL Natalia, ABBA Agustín, Sabine Vinke, Secretaria de Turismo y Cultura de la Nación, IMAGING, CONICET, MAGRAF.

From Web:
www.turismo.mendoza.gov.ar
www.congresos.mendoza.gov.ar
www.eleccionargentina.org
www.argentinaturistica.com
www.evisos.com.ar/fotos-del-anuncio/22866
South Trekking Travel www.mundotrekking.com.ar
Galería pública de Alfredo Moyano