The Saci short-tailed opossum (''Monodelphis saci''), also known as the gnome opossum, is a

species A species () is often defined as the largest group of organisms in which any two individuals of the appropriate sexes or mating types can produce fertile offspring, typically by sexual reproduction. It is the basic unit of Taxonomy (biology), ...

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 ...

endemic Endemism is the state of a species being found only in a single defined geographic location, such as an island, state, nation, country or other defined zone; organisms that are indigenous to a place are not endemic to it if they are also foun ...

to the

rainforests Rainforests are forests characterized by a closed and continuous tree Canopy (biology), canopy, moisture-dependent vegetation, the presence of epiphytes and lianas and the absence of wildfire. Rainforests can be generally classified as tropi ...

Brazil Brazil, officially the Federative Republic of Brazil, is the largest country in South America. It is the world's List of countries and dependencies by area, fifth-largest country by area and the List of countries and dependencies by population ...

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 In human anatomy, the groin, also known as the inguinal region or iliac region, is the junctional area between the torso and the thigh. The groin is at the front of the body on either side of the pubic tubercle, where the lower part of the abdom ...

and flanks are grayish-brown. There is a distinct central white streak on the chest and

abdomen The abdomen (colloquially called the gut, belly, tummy, midriff, tucky, or stomach) is the front part of the torso between the thorax (chest) and pelvis in humans and in other vertebrates. The area occupied by the abdomen is called the abdominal ...

. 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 Amazon most often refers to: * Amazon River, in South America * Amazon rainforest, a rainforest covering most of the Amazon basin * Amazon (company), an American multinational technology company * Amazons, a tribe of female warriors in Greek myth ...

Behavior

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

Etymology

They are named after mythical creatures called Saci 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 Short-tailed opossums Fauna of the Amazon Endemic mammals of Brazil Marsupials of Brazil Mammals described in 2017