Buff-bellied fat-tailed mouse opossum

Buff-bellied fat-tailed mouse opossum
Conservation status
Data Deficient (IUCN 3.1)
Scientific classification
Kingdom:	Animalia
Phylum:	Chordata
Class:	Mammalia
Order:	Didelphimorphia
Family:	Didelphidae
Genus:	Thylamys
Species:	T. venustus
Binomial name
Thylamys venustus Thomas, 1902
File:Buff-bellied Fat-tailed Mouse Opossum area.png
Buff-bellied fat-tailed mouse opossum range
Synonyms
Marmosa elegans venusta (Thomas, 1902) Marmosa elegans cinderella (Thomas, 1902) Marmosa elegans sponsoria (Thomas, 1921) Marmosa janetta (Thomas, 1926)

The buff-bellied fat-tailed mouse opossum (Thylamys venustus) is a species of opossum in the family Didelphidae. It is found in the transitional and humid forests of northern Argentina and southern Bolivia. Its dorsal fur is cinnamon brown. Most of its ventral fur is gray-based, but its chest, throat, and the thoracic midline (the midline of the thorax, which ranges from the throat to the top of the abdomen) are not gray-based. The postorbital ridges are absent in the young and weakly developed in adults. There are four synonyms: Marmosa elegans venusta (Thomas, 1902), Marmosa elegans cinderella (Thomas, 1902, Tucumán Province), Marmosa elegans sponsoria (Thomas, 1921, Jujuy Province) and Marmosa janetta (Thomas, 1926, Tarija Department) with cinderella and sponsoria actually being one taxon and a subspecies of venustus; janetta is the largest of all and has cream-white ventral pelage with plumbeous bases.

The threats are not exactly known; it occurs in an area currently being developed, and while its range overlaps several protected areas, it is uncertain if it occurs in any of them.

References

• Alfred L. Gardner (2003). Mammals of South America, Volume 1: Marsupials, Xenarthrans, Shrews, and Bats. University of Chicago Press, 2003, page 116. ISBN 0226282422.