Handley's short-tailed opossum (''Monodelphis handleyi'') is a

species In biology, a species is the basic unit of classification and a taxonomic rank of an organism, as well as a unit of biodiversity. A species is often defined as the largest group of organisms in which any two individuals of the appropriate s ...

of mammal in the family Didelphidae. It is only known to exist in its type locality in

Peru , image_flag = Flag of Peru.svg , image_coat = Escudo nacional del Perú.svg , other_symbol = Great Seal of the State , other_symbol_type = National seal , national_motto = "Firm and Happy f ...

, and more recently in

Brazil Brazil ( pt, Brasil; ), officially the Federative Republic of Brazil (Portuguese: ), is the largest country in both South America and Latin America. At and with over 217 million people, Brazil is the world's fifth-largest country by area ...

Taxonomy

The holotype for the species was caught by Jessica Amanzo on February 5, 1997, in Peru. The species is named after Charles O. Handley, Jr. to honor his contribution to the study of

neotropical The Neotropical realm is one of the eight biogeographic realms constituting Earth's land surface. Physically, it includes the tropical terrestrial ecoregions of the Americas and the entire South American temperate zone. Definition In bioge ...

mammals.

Description

The opossum is medium-sized and robust. It has short dorsal fur with the hair having pale gray bases and brown tips. It has dull cream underparts with a pale midventral stripe. It has a brownish head and rump, with short, white

whiskers Vibrissae (; singular: vibrissa; ), more generally called Whiskers, are a type of stiff, functional hair used by mammals to sense their environment. These hairs are finely specialised for this purpose, whereas other types of hair are coarse ...

. A yellowish to orange throat gland is present. The

pinnae The auricle or auricula is the visible part of the ear that is outside the head. It is also called the pinna (Latin for "wing" or " fin", plural pinnae), a term that is used more in zoology. Structure The diagram shows the shape and location ...

are uniformly brown and are furless. It has short, robust limbs.

Distribution and habitat

The opossum is known only from Peru and Brazil. The specimens were caught swampy and well-drained forest bordering primary and secondary forests. The height of the tree canopy was 25-30 meters with a dense understory and abundant palms.

Conservation

The opossum is assessed as data-deficient by the IUCN. There is lack of information about the animals habitat requirement, population, and habits, although probable threats include selective logging and deforestation in its range.

References

Animals described in 2007 Opossums {{marsupial-stub