Thylamys macrurus

Taxonomy

Assessment Information

Geographic Range

Population

Habitat and Ecology

Threats

Conservation Actions

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Taxonomy [top]

Kingdom	Phylum	Class	Order	Family
ANIMALIA	CHORDATA	MAMMALIA	DIDELPHIMORPHIA	DIDELPHIDAE

Scientific Name:

Thylamys macrurus

Species Authority:

(Olfers, 1818)

Common Name/s:

English	–	Paraguayan Fat-tailed Mouse Opossum, Long-tailed Fat-tailed Opossum
French	–	Opossum-souris À Longue Queue

Synonym/s:

Thylamys macrura (Olfers, 1818) [orth. error]

Assessment Information [top]

Red List Category & Criteria:

Near Threatened ver 3.1

Year Published:

2011

Assessor/s:

de la Sancha, N. & Teta, P.

Reviewer/s:

Justification:
This species is considered to be Near Threatened in light of an ongoing population decline inferred from habitat conversion to agriculture and from logging activities. Further information is needed on the distribution, area of occupancy and effects of the numerous threats on populations of this species, as it may be more threatened than currently suspected. Almost qualifies as threatened under criterion A. In Paraguay the species is only known from no more than seven verified specimens.

History:

2008	–	Near Threatened (IUCN 2008)
1996	–	Lower Risk/near threatened

Geographic Range [top]

Range Description:	This species is restricted to the moist subtropical forest of eastern Paraguay and neighbouring areas in Brazil (Gardner 2007).
Countries:	Native: Brazil; Paraguay
Range Map:	Click here to open the map viewer and explore range.

Population [top]

Population:	The species is locally rare in Brazil (Carmignotto and Monfort 2006).
Population Trend:	Decreasing

Habitat and Ecology [top]

Habitat and Ecology:	Associated with open areas, including Chaco and subtropical moist forest in eastern Paraguay. In Brazil, occurs in areas of dense savanna with trees, as well as areas of deciduous forest. Also found in the western border of the Cerrado and close to the southern border of the Pantanal wetlands (Carmignotto and Monfort 2006). Found from 500–650 m in Brazil. The species of this genus are mainly arboreal and crepuscular, with a diet that is mostly insects and small vertebrates (Palma et al. 2002). This is the only species of this genus that inhabits subtropical humid forests (Palma et al. 2002).
Systems:	Terrestrial

Habitat and Ecology:

Associated with open areas, including Chaco and subtropical moist forest in eastern Paraguay. In Brazil, occurs in areas of dense savanna with trees, as well as areas of deciduous forest. Also found in the western border of the Cerrado and close to the southern border of the Pantanal wetlands (Carmignotto and Monfort 2006). Found from 500–650 m in Brazil. The species of this genus are mainly arboreal and crepuscular, with a diet that is mostly insects and small vertebrates (Palma et al. 2002). This is the only species of this genus that inhabits subtropical humid forests (Palma et al. 2002).

Systems:

Terrestrial

Threats [top]

Major Threat(s):	Numerous populations of this species are threatened by deforestation for logging and agriculture.

Major Threat(s):

Numerous populations of this species are threatened by deforestation for logging and agriculture.

Conservation Actions [top]

Conservation Actions:	This species is not found in protected areas in the Brazilian portion of the distribution (Carmignotto and Monfort 2006), however, in Paraguay it is. More research is needed to determine the range and habitats of this species, and the cumulative effect of numerous threats.

Conservation Actions:

This species is not found in protected areas in the Brazilian portion of the distribution (Carmignotto and Monfort 2006), however, in Paraguay it is. More research is needed to determine the range and habitats of this species, and the cumulative effect of numerous threats.

Citation:	de la Sancha, N. & Teta, P. 2011. Thylamys macrurus. In: IUCN 2011. IUCN Red List of Threatened Species. Version 2011.2. <www.iucnredlist.org>. Downloaded on 26 May 2012.
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