The Isthmian mouse opossum (''Marmosa isthmica'') is a species of

opossum Opossums () are members of the marsupial order Didelphimorphia () endemic to the Americas. The largest order of marsupials in the Western Hemisphere, it comprises 93 species in 18 genera. Opossums originated in South America and entered North ...

in the family Didelphidae found in

Colombia Colombia (, ; ), officially the Republic of Colombia, is a country in South America with insular regions in North America—near Nicaragua's Caribbean coast—as well as in the Pacific Ocean. The Colombian mainland is bordered by the Car ...

Ecuador Ecuador ( ; ; Quechua: ''Ikwayur''; Shuar: ''Ecuador'' or ''Ekuatur''), officially the Republic of Ecuador ( es, República del Ecuador, which literally translates as "Republic of the Equator"; Quechua: ''Ikwadur Ripuwlika''; Shuar: ''Eku ...

, and

Panama Panama ( , ; es, link=no, Panamá ), officially the Republic of Panama ( es, República de Panamá), is a transcontinental country spanning the southern part of North America and the northern part of South America. It is bordered by Cos ...

.Fiona A. Reid, ''A field guide to the mammals of Central America & Southeast Mexico'' (OUP USA, 2009)
p. 50
/ref> Foraging along branches and vines for fruit and insects, with the help of a

prehensile tail A prehensile tail is the tail of an animal that has adapted to grasp or hold objects. Fully prehensile tails can be used to hold and manipulate objects, and in particular to aid arboreal creatures in finding and eating food in the trees. If the ta ...

, ''M. isthmica'' was formerly considered a subspecies of

Robinson's mouse opossum Robinson's mouse opossum (''Marmosa robinsoni'') is a species of opossum in the family Didelphidae. It is found in Belize, Colombia, Ecuador, Grenada, Honduras, Panama, Peru, Trinidad and Tobago, and Venezuela. Robinson's mouse opossums move al ...

(''Marmosa robinsoni'') and is supposed to be similar to it in habit, but following Rossi (2005) it is now deemed a species. In 1935 in the

Panama Canal Zone The Panama Canal Zone ( es, Zona del Canal de Panamá), also simply known as the Canal Zone, was an unincorporated territory of the United States, located in the Isthmus of Panama, that existed from 1903 to 1979. It was located within the terr ...

, Enders observed ''Marmosa isthmica'' to build nests with leaves in a nestbox fixed to a tree.Papéis Avulsos de Zoologia: vol. 41 (1999), Issues 1-14, p. 177

Notes

References

*Gardner, A. L.
Mammals of South America, Volume 1: Marsupials, Xenarthrans, Shrews, and Bats
''

University of Chicago Press The University of Chicago Press is the largest and one of the oldest university presses in the United States. It is operated by the University of Chicago and publishes a wide variety of academic titles, including ''The Chicago Manual of Style'', ...

. 2008. pg. 669 (see p. 59). Opossums Marsupials of Central America Marsupials of South America Mammals of Colombia Mammals of Ecuador Mammals described in 1912 {{marsupial-stub