Gray and black four-eyed opossum
Encyclopedia
The seven species in the genus
Philander, commonly known as gray and black four-eyed opossums, are members of the order
Didelphimorphia
. Mature females have a well-developed marsupium
. The tail appears to be hairless except for the proximal (closest to the body) 5 or 6 cm, which has a few long hairs. The tail is slightly longer than the head-and-body length, and it is black for the proximal one half to two thirds of its length. The genus is closely related to Didelphis
but the species of Philander are smaller than those of Didelphis
. The genus formerly included Metachirus nudicaudatus
, but this species lacks a pouch and so is now considered a separate genus. The common name comes from the white spots above the eyes, which can appear from a distance to be another set of eyes.
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...
Philander, commonly known as gray and black four-eyed opossums, are members of the order
Order (biology)
In scientific classification used in biology, the order is# a taxonomic rank used in the classification of organisms. Other well-known ranks are life, domain, kingdom, phylum, class, family, genus, and species, with order fitting in between class and family...
Didelphimorphia
Didelphimorphia
Opossums make up the largest order of marsupials in the Western Hemisphere, including 103 or more species in 19 genera. They are also commonly called possums, though that term technically refers to Australian fauna of the suborder Phalangeriformes. The Virginia opossum was the first animal to be...
. Mature females have a well-developed marsupium
Pouch (marsupial)
The pouch is a distinguishing feature of female marsupials ; the name marsupial is derived from the Latin marsupium, meaning "pouch". Marsupials give birth to a live but relatively undeveloped fetus called a joey. When the joey is born it crawls from inside the mother to the pouch...
. The tail appears to be hairless except for the proximal (closest to the body) 5 or 6 cm, which has a few long hairs. The tail is slightly longer than the head-and-body length, and it is black for the proximal one half to two thirds of its length. The genus is closely related to Didelphis
Didelphis
The six species in the genus Didelphis, commonly known as large American opossums, are members of the Didelphimorphia order....
but the species of Philander are smaller than those of Didelphis
Didelphis
The six species in the genus Didelphis, commonly known as large American opossums, are members of the Didelphimorphia order....
. The genus formerly included Metachirus nudicaudatus
Brown Four-eyed Opossum
The Brown Four-eyed Opossum is a pouchless marsupial of the family Didelphidae. It is found in different forested habitats of Central and South America, from Nicaragua and to Paraguay and northern Argentina...
, but this species lacks a pouch and so is now considered a separate genus. The common name comes from the white spots above the eyes, which can appear from a distance to be another set of eyes.