The Saci short-tailed opossum (''Monodelphis saci''), also known as gnome 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 93 species in 18 genera. Opossums originated in South America and entered North ...

endemic to the rainforests of Brazil.

Characteristics

They measure from their nose to the base of the tail. The tail measures . They weigh around . They have a conspicuous reddish head and brown rump and back. The chin, throat, groin and flanks are grayish-brown. There is a distinct central white streak on the chest and abdomen. Their paws are covered with short, light-brown hairs. Males are slightly larger than females.

Distribution

They live in the lowland rainforests along the south bank of the Brazilian Amazon.

Behavior

Little is known about their behavior because of their very recent discovery.

Etymology

They are named after mythical creatures called

Saci ''Sac''I is a restriction enzyme isolated from the bacterium Bacteria (; singular: bacterium) are ubiquitous, mostly free-living organisms often consisting of one biological cell. They constitute a large domain of prokaryotic microorgani ...

in Brazilian folklore which wear a red hat to disappear and reappear at will. Scientists named them so because of their reddish-heads and the fact they eluded discovery for so long.

References

{{Taxonbar, from=Q30232550 Opossums Fauna of the Amazon Endemic fauna of Brazil Mammals of Brazil Mammals described in 2017