Brown-eared Woolly Opossum
Encyclopedia
The Brown-eared Woolly Opossum (Caluromys lanatus), also known as the Western Woolly Opossum, is a woolly opossum
species
from South America
. Its habitat is restricted to moist forests.
Just like other members of the genus
Caluromys, the Brown-eared Woolly Opossum is a strongly arboreal species of marsupial
, differing from other didelphid opossums in having a comparatively large encephalization quotient
and smaller litter size. The tail is long and heavy in more than half of its extension.
It is omnivorous and feeds on fruits, nectar, invertebrates and small vertebrates.
Woolly opossum
The three species in the genus Caluromys, commonly known as woolly opossums, are members of the Didelphimorphia order.-Species and Subspecies:* Subgenus Mallodelphys**Derby's Woolly Opossum, Caluromys derbianus...
species
Species
In biology, a species is one of the basic units of biological classification and a taxonomic rank. A species is often defined as a group of organisms capable of interbreeding and producing fertile offspring. While in many cases this definition is adequate, more precise or differing measures are...
from South America
South America
South America is a continent situated in the Western Hemisphere, mostly in the Southern Hemisphere, with a relatively small portion in the Northern Hemisphere. The continent is also considered a subcontinent of the Americas. It is bordered on the west by the Pacific Ocean and on the north and east...
. Its habitat is restricted to moist forests.
Just like other members of the genus
Genus
In biology, a genus is a low-level taxonomic rank used in the biological classification of living and fossil organisms, which is an example of definition by genus and differentia...
Caluromys, the Brown-eared Woolly Opossum is a strongly arboreal species of marsupial
Marsupial
Marsupials are an infraclass of mammals, characterized by giving birth to relatively undeveloped young. Close to 70% of the 334 extant species occur in Australia, New Guinea, and nearby islands, with the remaining 100 found in the Americas, primarily in South America, but with thirteen in Central...
, differing from other didelphid opossums in having a comparatively large encephalization quotient
Encephalization quotient
Encephalization Quotient , or encephalization level is a measure of relative brain size defined as the ratio between actual brain mass and predicted brain mass for an animal of a given size, which is hypothesized to be a rough estimate of the intelligence of the animal.This is a more refined...
and smaller litter size. The tail is long and heavy in more than half of its extension.
It is omnivorous and feeds on fruits, nectar, invertebrates and small vertebrates.