''Marmosops caucae'', the Cauca slender opossum, is a species of

opossum Opossums () are members of the marsupial order Didelphimorphia () endemic to the Americas. The largest order of marsupials in the Western Hemisphere, it comprises 126 species in 18 genera. Opossums originated in South America and entered North A ...

from the ''

Marmosops ''Marmosops'' is a genus of Neotropical opossums of the family Didelphidae. The genus was originally treated as a subgenus from the genus ''Marmosa'' rather than having their own classification. This was changed in 1989 by Gardner and Crieghton ...

'' genus endemic to the eastern and western

Andes The Andes ( ), Andes Mountains or Andean Mountain Range (; ) are the List of longest mountain chains on Earth, longest continental mountain range in the world, forming a continuous highland along the western edge of South America. The range ...

. It is a diminutive species and its coat is thick. The ventral fur is a dark brown with shades of gray. The species was

scientifically described A species description is a formal scientific description of a newly encountered species, typically articulated through a scientific publication. Its purpose is to provide a clear description of a new species of organism and explain how it diffe ...

in 1900 by

Oldfield Thomas Michael Rogers Oldfield Thomas (21 February 1858 – 16 June 1929) was a British zoologist. Career Thomas worked at the Natural History Museum, London, Natural History Museum on mammals, describing about 2,000 new species and subspecies for ...

Description

The lower part of their faces is lighter than the center. The majority of the total length of hairs on the exterior of the abdomen seem to be an orange color. The fingers and toes are slightly coated in translucent white hair, and the wrists and elbows are brown. The external parts of the limbs are dark in color, while the interior parts are the same color as the sides of the abdomen. The tail is bicolored and prehensile.Diaz-Nieto, JF 2014. Marmosops caucae (Thomas, 1900). In: Wild mammals of the Aburrá Valley. Metropolitan Area of the Aburrá Valley, Corantioquia, University of Antioquia. Medellin.

References

{{Taxonbar, from=Q18474200 Opossums Mammals described in 1900 Taxa named by Oldfield Thomas