Gray-bellied Shrew Opossum
The gray-bellied shrew opossum (Caenolestes caniventer) is a small, shrew-like marsupial of the cool montane forests of Ecuador and Peru. Shrew opossums are the only survivors of an ancient South American order.
The gray-bellied shrew opossum (Caenolestes caniventer) is a small, shrew-like marsupial of the cool montane forests of Ecuador and Peru. Shrew opossums are the only survivors of an ancient South American order.
🧬 Field Guide Specimen: Open Gray-bellied Shrew Opossum in the CRV Science Field Guide to log the specimen, see its place among the Mammals lineages in the Cladogram Explorer, and test your recall in the Red List conservation game.
Shrew-Like Habits
This species hunts insects, worms and other small prey at night along the forest floor, using a strong sense of smell. It has a long, pointed snout and minute eyes.
A Surviving Order
The order Paucituberculata was once much more diverse in South America. The living species are restricted to the Andes. See Silky Shrew Opossum.
Cloud-Forest Residents
They live at altitudes of 1,500 to over 3,000 meters, so are vulnerable to deforestation. See Deforestation.
Gray-bellied Shrew Opossum at a Glance
| Property | Value |
|---|---|
| Scientific name | Caenolestes caniventer |
| Kingdom | Animalia |
| Phylum | Chordata |
| Class | Mammalia |
| Order | Paucituberculata |
| Family | Caenolestidae |
| Field Guide group | Mammals: Marsupialia (Metatherians) |
| Diagnostic feature (Field Guide) | Mouse-sized dark-gray Andean insectivore with a long pointed snout, tiny eyes, and two long forward-pointing lower front teeth; females have no pouch. |
| IUCN Red List status | Near Threatened (NT), assessed 2015 |
| Order | Paucituberculata |
| Habitat | Andean montane forest |