Dromiciops gliroides

The order of the Microbiotheria , a branch of the Marsupial more related with those of Australia than with those of South America, comprises only one:

Dromiciops gliroides or monito LED assembles , also called colocolo , chumaihuén or perrito of virtud (in French pup of virtue ) which one finds only in Argentine and with the Chile. He is regarded as an alive fossil.

All the other known members of the order died out between the Oligocène and the Miocène. One is unaware of if the ancestors of the colocolo arrived to America from Australia, or were there since the time when the two continents were joined together and formed the Gondwana.

Distribution

One does not know with precision his geographical distribution. But one knows that one finds it in the wood wet of the south of the Chile, between the 36° and 43° degrees of southern latitude, in Isla Grande of Chiloé, in the Cordillère of the Chilean coast, in the Chilean central valley and the Andes cordillera. He also lives in certain areas of the Argentine near, more precisely in the west of the provinces of Neuquén, Río Negro and Chubut, in the zones close to the national parks of the lake Nahuel Huapi and the Lanín volcano.

Physical characteristics

The dromiciops or colocolo is hardly larger than a common mouse; he reaches 13 cm length, for which it is necessary to add a few additional centimetres for his prehensile tail. He can weigh until 40 grams. He has a dense and soft peeling, of grisacée brown color or bay, with the ventral part blanchâtre; there are obscure fringes on the shoulders and the sides, and of the black spots around the eyes. The ears are round, short and hairy. He has the very pointed muzzle and an opposable inch. Its body is well adapted cold.

Habitat and practices

He lives wooded areas in made nests of sheets of quila; he nourishes himself of vegetable pulp, seeds and larvae of insects. It is a night animal, and excellent climbing.

During the winter, it enters in Hibernation, reason for which it accumulates in autumn of Grease which settles in its tail in order to suffice for all the winter; its fast metabolism enables him to accumulate reserves quickly, doubling its weight in only one week, if the conditions are favorable. One finds it in couple at the time of southern spring. The mothers low put one to four small, who remain in the Marsupium until their complete development. The two sexes reach maturity around two years, and remain in close contact with the parents until they reached this age there.

External bonds

Taxinomic sites of reference:

Kind:

Species:

Other sites:

Monito of goes up, photo and chart

Photographs:

Close-up of the head of a '' monito LED assembles ''
In a tree
Vu side

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