Trivia question for Aug-25-2011

Olivia thinks these guys are so cute.  These guys have the best developed auditory system among mammals relative to their brain size.  Females of this species do not have pouches, unlike most other marsupials.

These guys are most commonly sighted near forest streams and human habitation. A nocturnal creature, it shelters during the day in a mesh of twigs on a tree branch, a tree hole, or an old bird’s nest. It eats insects, spiders, lizards, bird’s eggs, chicks, and fruits. They have an extremely short gestation period of approximately 13 days, and gives birth to 5–10 young. It is pale beige to grey on its underparts with short, smooth fur. Its face appears to have a black mask on it, its eyes are prominent, and its ears are very upright. Its tail, which females use to carry leaves, is much longer than the rest of its body.

So here are Olivia’s questions:  Tell us what this mammal is and where they can be found?  Also, tell us what the babies do if it becomes detached from its mother in order to be found?

Good Luck 😉

Answer:

Congratulations goes out to Larissa from Paramaribo South America for being the first with the correct answers. The tiny marsupial we featured is the Mouse Opossum or Linnaeus’s Mouse Opossum, also known as the Common or Murine Mouse Opossum.  These guys are found from Mexico to northern parts of South America.

It is pale beige to grey on its underparts with short, smooth fur. Its face appears to have a black mask on it, its eyes are prominent, and its ears are very upright. Its tail, which females use to carry leaves, is much longer than the rest of its body. Linnaeus’s Mouse Opossum has a body length of approximately 4.3–5.7 in, with a tail of approximately 5.3–8.3 in long. It weighs about 8.8 oz.  If it becomes detached from its mother, a young mouse opossum repeats a unique chirping cry until it is located and reattached to the mother.  Here is more on these cute little guys: Mouse Opossum

Thanks for playing along 😉