Dromiciops gliroides

Taxonomy

Assessment Information

Geographic Range

Population

Habitat and Ecology

Threats

Conservation Actions

Taxonomy [top]

Kingdom	Phylum	Class	Order	Family
ANIMALIA	CHORDATA	MAMMALIA	MICROBIOTHERIA	MICROBIOTHERIIDAE

Scientific Name:

Dromiciops gliroides

Species Authority

Thomas, 1894

Common Name/s:

English	–	Monito Del Monte
French	–	Opossum Austral
Spanish	–	Comadrejita Enana, Llacas

Synonym/s:

Dromiciops australis

Assessment Information [top]

Red List Category & Criteria:

Near Threatened ver 3.1

Year Assessed:

2008

Assessor/s

Diaz M. & Teta, P.

Evaluator/s:

Amori, G. (Small Nonvolant Mammal Red List Authority) & Schipper, J. (Global Mammal Assessment Team)

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. Almost qualifies as threatened under criterion A. 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. This species is restricted to a habitat type which is being exploited and should be monitored.

History:

1996

–

Vulnerable (Baillie and Groombridge 1996)

Geographic Range [top]

Range Description:	Only found in southern and central Chile, to the south of Concepcion and on the island of Chiloe, and adjacent Argentina. It was recently captured in Argentina in Lake Nahuel Huapi National Park (Birney et al., in press).
Countries:	Native: Argentina; Chile
Range Map:	(click map to view full version)

Population [top]

Population:	Its population has declined over recent years. Currently, D. gliroides has been catalogued as a rare species in Chile, due to its reduced population size. Furthermore, the high degree of fragmentation in the Maulino forest, allows to suppose that the local population of Dromiciops as well as that of the Reserva Los Ruiles and Los Queules could be in danger of extinction.
Population Trend:	Decreasing

Habitat and Ecology [top]

Habitat and Ecology:	Dromiciops gliroides live in the cool, humid forests of the Chilean Andes where they inhabit thickets of Chilean Bamboo (Chusquea sp.). This nocturnal, arboreal mammal construct spherical nests of water-repellant bamboo leaves lined with moss or grass. Nests probably serve to protect the animals from the cold, but when temperatures drop during the winter and food becomes scarce, Dromiciops gliroides will hibernate. Feeds primarily on larvae and pupae of insect.
Systems:	Terrestrial

Habitat and Ecology:

Dromiciops gliroides live in the cool, humid forests of the Chilean Andes where they inhabit thickets of Chilean Bamboo (Chusquea sp.). This nocturnal, arboreal mammal construct spherical nests of water-repellant bamboo leaves lined with moss or grass. Nests probably serve to protect the animals from the cold, but when temperatures drop during the winter and food becomes scarce, Dromiciops gliroides will hibernate. Feeds primarily on larvae and pupae of insect.

Systems:

Terrestrial

Threats [top]

Major Threat(s):	This species is threatened by a loss of restricted habitat.

Major Threat(s):

This species is threatened by a loss of restricted habitat.

Conservation Actions [top]

Conservation Actions:	This species occurs in several protected areas. More research is necessary to determine the impact of the numerous possible threats to populations - especially logging and agriculture.

Conservation Actions:

This species occurs in several protected areas. More research is necessary to determine the impact of the numerous possible threats to populations - especially logging and agriculture.

Citation:	Diaz M. & Teta, P. 2008. Dromiciops gliroides. In: IUCN 2008. 2008 IUCN Red List of Threatened Species. <www.iucnredlist.org>. Downloaded on 23 November 2008.
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