1. (Monodelphis domestica) Grey short-tailed opossum
2. (Monodelphis brevicaudata) red-legged short-tailed opossum
3. (Philander opossum) Four-eyed opossum
4. (Chironectes minimus) Yapok
5. (Didelphis albiventris) white-eared opossum
6. (Didelphis aurita) big-eared opossum
7. (Didelphis marsupialis) Southern opossum
8. (Didelphis virginiana) Virginia opossum
I've often arrived to a Zoo expecting a new South American marsupial species, only to find out they had passed away (they don't have very long lifespans)
1. (Monodelphis domestica) Grey short-tailed opossum
2. (Monodelphis brevicaudata) red-legged short-tailed opossum
3. (Philander opossum) Four-eyed opossum
4. (Chironectes minimus) Yapok
5. (Didelphis albiventris) white-eared opossum
6. (Didelphis aurita) big-eared opossum
7. (Didelphis marsupialis) Southern opossum
8. (Didelphis virginiana) Virginia opossum
I've often arrived to a Zoo expecting a new South American marsupial species, only to find out they had passed away (they don't have very long lifespans)
As Tea Loving Dave said, that's a very impressive list. The Virginia opossum is a common animal to many of us in North America, but the rest would be a real treat to see in a zoo or the wild.
Over here in Europe there are only three opossum species to be seen - White-eared, Virginia and Short-tailed. All three are relatively common in private hands, but extremely rare in zoos - hence my never having seen any.
Haha well thank you guys. I'm just annoyed since I've had so many near misses with South American Opossum species.
Also since there's 100 species total they're one of the many areas of mammal species that I have a poor percentage of the total- 8%. Nothing beats bats though. I've photographed 32 bat species out of the total 1,240. 2.6% Yikes!
And actually now that order Soricomorpha stands alone from Insectivora, I've only photographed 3 shrew and 0 mole/solenodon species out of the 431 total species for a .7% total. And I guess technically my worst mammal orders are Paucituberculata, Notoryctemorphia, Dermoptera, Microbiotheria where I'm 0-6, 0-2, 0-2, 0-1 respectively.
For mammal orders I've photographed over 50% of the species:
Tubulidentata: 1-1 for 100% (not too hard)
Perissodactyla: 15-16 93.75% (pretty easy to guess the missing species)
Hyracoidea: 3-4 75%
Sirenia: 3-4 75%
Artiodactyla: 158-220 71.82%
Pilosa: 7-10 70%
Proboscidea: 2-3 66.66%
Carnivora: 171-288 59.38%
Cingulata: 11-21 52.38%
I can update this list with both good news and bad news:
First the bad news:
The Monodelphis brevicaudata that the people at the Cincinnati Zoo swore up and down about was actually a Monodelphis domestica. I never bothered looking at images of brevicaudata, but it looks strikingly different (a point brought up to me from the founder of zootierliste).
And I'm pretty sure the Didelphis marsupialis I thought I saw at Iguazu falls was probably an adult Didelphis aurita (I had already seen a young of which at the Rio Zoo).
So that had brought me down to 6...that is before my honeymoon in Costa Rica!
Now the good news:
With some really good luck in Costa Rica I was able to add photographs of 3 new South American Marsupial species!
1. (Caluromys derbianus) Derby’s woolly opossum (barely missed out on this at Corcovado national park, only to see one within 2 minutes of looking in Drake Bay the following night)
2. (Didelphis marsupialis) Common opossum (saw 3 or 4, able to photograph only 1)
3. (Marmosa mexicana) Mexican mouse opossum (my biggest hope for the trip, and I actually saw 3 within 2 nights!)
That brings my total to 9! Here they are all together:
1. (Caluromys derbianus) Derby’s woolly opossum
2. (Philander opossum) Four-eyed opossum
3. (Chironectes minimus) Yapok
4. (Didelphis albiventris) white-eared opossum
5. (Didelphis aurita) big-eared opossum
6. (Didelphis marsupialis) Common opossum
7. (Didelphis virginiana) Virginia opossum
8. (Marmosa mexicana) Mexican mouse opossum
9. (Monodelphis domestica) Grey short-tailed opossum
Thanks to the bare-tailed woolly opossum at Shell Factory and Nature Park in Florida I'm up to 10 south american marsupial species!
1. (Caluromys derbianus) Derby’s woolly opossum
2. (Caluromys philander) bare-tailed woolly opossum
3. (Philander opossum) Four-eyed opossum
4. (Chironectes minimus) Yapok
5. (Didelphis albiventris) white-eared opossum
6. (Didelphis aurita) big-eared opossum
7. (Didelphis marsupialis) Common opossum
8. (Didelphis virginiana) Virginia opossum
9. (Marmosa mexicana) Mexican mouse opossum
10. (Monodelphis domestica) Grey short-tailed opossum
