Caenolestes condorensis Albuja Viteri and Patterson 1996 (common shrew opossum)

Mammalia - Paucituberculata - Caenolestidae

Diagnosis- A large species of caenolestid marsupial with the following distinguishing traits: canines large and massive; nasals long and exceeding half of greatest length of skull; p2 large with its anterior cusp elevated; crown of p3 enlarged; posterior margin of palate squared; anterior palatal foramen opens far anteriorly, between p1 and p2; posterior palatal foramen opens level with anterior margins of p3; antorbital vacuity is bordered by premaxilla, nasal, and frontal bones; gaps between anterior maxillary teeth, particularly I3-I4 and C-P13 larger, in some cases exceeding the lengths of anterior teeth; I4 in contact with the anterior margin of C; color of dorsal pelage fuscous, browner below, and coarse-textured; sides of rhinarium and mystacial vibrissae whitish.

Full reference: L. H. Albuja Viteri and B. D. Patterson. 1996. A New Species of Northern Shrew-Opossum (Paucituberculata: Caenolestidae) from the Cordillera del Cóndor, Ecuador. Journal of Mammalogy 77(1):41-53

Belongs to Caenolestes according to L. H. Albuja Viteri and B. D. Patterson 1996

Sister taxa: Caenolestes caniventer, Caenolestes convelatus, Caenolestes fuliginosus, Caenolestes sangay, Caenolestes tatei

Ecology: scansorial insectivore

Distribution: there are no occurrences of Caenolestes condorensis in the database

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Specimen images are retrieved through the ePANDDA API.


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