View source for Monito del monte

{{Short description|Species of marsupial}}
{{Speciesbox
|name = Monito del monte
|image = Monito del Monte ps6.jpg
|status = NT
|status_ref = {{sfn|Martin|Flores|Teta|2015}}
|status_system = IUCN3.1
|genus = Dromiciops
|parent_authority = [[Oldfield Thomas|Thomas]], 1894{{sfn|Thomas|1894}}
|species = gliroides
|authority = [[Oldfield Thomas|Thomas]], 1894{{sfn|Thomas|1894}}
|synonyms_ref = <ref name=msw3>{{harvnb|Gardner|2005|p=21}}</ref>
|synonyms = ''Didelphys australis'' <small>[[Georg August Goldfuss|Goldfuss]], 1812</small><br />
''Dromiciops australis'' <small>[[Federico Philippi|F. Philippi]], 1893</small>
|subdivision_ranks = Subspecies
|subdivision = *''Dromiciops gliroides australis'' <small>F. Philippi, 1893</small>
*''Dromiciops gliroides gliroides'' <small>Thomas, 1894</small>
|range_map = 
|range_map_caption = 
}}

The '''monito del monte''' ('''''Dromiciops gliroides'''''), or '''colocolo opossum''',<ref>{{cite journal|last=Martinez|first=D. R.|year=1993|title=Food habits of the rufous-legged owl (''Strix rufipes'') in temperate rainforests of southern Chile |journal=Journal of Raptor Research|volume=27|issue=4|pages=214–216: 214|quote=The colocolo opossum (''Dromiciops australis'') was better represented during spring and summer than during autumn and winter|url=https://sora.unm.edu/sites/default/files/journals/jrr/v027n04/p00214-p00216.pdf}}</ref>  is a diminutive species of [[marsupial]] native only to south-western South America (Argentina and Chile). It is the only extant species in the ancient order [[Microbiotheria]], and the sole New World representative of the superorder [[Australidelphia]], being more closely related to Australian marsupials than to other American marsupials. The species is [[Nocturnality|nocturnal]] and [[arboreal]], and lives in thickets of [[Chusquea|South American mountain bamboo]] in the [[Valdivian temperate forests]] of the southern [[Andes]],{{sfn|Martin|Flores|Teta|2015}} aided by its partially [[prehensile tail]].{{sfn|Edge|2006}} It consumes an omnivorous diet based on insects and fruit.{{sfn|Edge|2006}}

==Taxonomy and etymology==
''Dromiciops gliroides'' is the sole extant member of the order [[Microbiotheria]].<ref name=msw3 /> It was first [[Scientific description|described]] by British zoologist [[Oldfield Thomas]] in 1894.{{sfn|Thomas|1894}} The [[Generic name (biology)|generic name]] ''Dromiciops'' is based on the resemblance of the monito del monte to the [[eastern pygmy possum]] (''Cercartetus nanus''), one of the synonyms of which is ''Dromicia nana''. The specific name ''gliroides'' is a combination of the Latin ''glis, gliris'' ("[[dormouse]]", more generally "rodent") and Greek ''oides'' ("similar to"). The name ''australis'' in a synonym (''D. australis'') refers to the southern distribution of the animal.<ref name="marshall">{{cite journal|last1=Marshall|first1=L.G.|title=''Dromiciops australis''|journal=[[Mammalian Species]]|date=1978|issue=99|pages=1–5|doi=10.2307/3504051 |jstor=3504051|url=https://www.science.smith.edu/msi/pdf/i0076-3519-099-01-0001.pdf|access-date=2016-06-04|archive-date=2016-03-04|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20160304113847/http://www.science.smith.edu/msi/pdf/i0076-3519-099-01-0001.pdf}}</ref>  The common name monito del monte is Spanish for "little monkey of [[the bush]]".{{sfn|EurekAlert!|2018}}

In his 1943 ''Mammals of Chile'', American zoologist [[Wilfred Hudson Osgood]] identified two [[subspecies]] of the monito del monte:<ref name="osgood">{{cite book|last1=Osgood|first1=W.H.|title=The Mammals of Chile|date=1943|volume=30|publisher=Field Museum of Natural History|location=Chicago, US|pages=48–50|url=https://www.biodiversitylibrary.org/item/21027#page/60/mode/2up}}</ref>

*''Dromiciops gliroides australis'' <small>F. Philippi, 1893</small>: It occurs in the [[Valdivian temperate rain forest]] in southcentral [[Chile]].
*''Dromiciops gliroides gliroides'' <small>Thomas, 1894</small>: It occurs in the northeastern [[Chiloé Island]].

==Phylogeny and biogeography==
[[File:Phylogenetic tree of marsupials derived from retroposon data - journal.pbio.1000436.g002.png|thumb|Phylogenetic and biogeographic position of the monito del monte relative to other extant marsupials]]
South American marsupials have long been suspected to be ancestral to those of [[Australia]], consistent with the fact that the two continents were connected via [[Antarctica]] in the early [[Cenozoic]]. Australia's earliest known marsupial is ''[[Djarthia]]'', a primitive [[mouse]]-like animal that lived in the early [[Eocene]] about 55 million years ago (mya). ''Djarthia'' had been identified as the earliest known australidelphian, and this research suggested that the monito del monte was the last of a [[clade]] that included ''Djarthia''.{{sfn|Beck|Godthelp|Weisbecker|Archer|2008}} This relationship suggests that the ancestors of the monito del monte might have reached South America by back-migration from Australia. The time of divergence between the monito del monte and Australian marsupials was estimated to have been 46 mya.{{sfn|Edge|2006}}

''Dromiciops'' is thought to have evolved from members of the genus ''Microbiotherium'', known from the early Miocene of South America, with some authors considering the genera indistinguishable. All other genera, like ''Pachybiotherium'', had become extinct by the late Miocene.<ref name="Fonturbel">{{Cite journal |last1=Fontúrbel |first1=Francisco E. |last2=Franco |first2=Lida M. |last3=Bozinovic |first3=Francisco |last4=Quintero-Galvis |first4=Julian F. |last5=Mejías |first5=Carlos |last6=Amico |first6=Guillermo C. |last7=Vazquez |first7=M. Soledad |last8=Sabat |first8=Pablo |last9=Sánchez-Hernández |first9=Juan C. |last10=Watson |first10=David M. |last11=Saenz-Agudelo |first11=Pablo |last12=Nespolo |first12=Roberto F. |date=March 2022 |title=The ecology and evolution of the monito del monte, a relict species from the southern South America temperate forests |journal=Ecology and Evolution |language=en |volume=12 |issue=3 |article-number=e8645 |doi=10.1002/ece3.8645 |issn=2045-7758 |pmc=8888251 |pmid=35261741|bibcode=2022EcoEv..12E8645F }}</ref>

However, in 2010, analysis of [[retrotransposon]] insertion sites in the [[nuclear DNA]] of a variety of marsupials, while confirming the placement of the monito del monte in Australidelphia, also clarified that its [[Lineage (evolution)|lineage]] is the most [[Basal (phylogenetics)|basal]] of that superorder. The study further confirmed that the most basal of all marsupial orders are the other two South American lineages ([[Didelphimorphia]] and [[Paucituberculata]], with the former probably branching first). This conclusion indicates that Australidelphia arose in South America (along with the ancestors of all other living marsupials), and probably reached Australia in a single [[Biological dispersal|dispersal event]] after [[Microbiotheria]] split off.{{sfn|Schiewe|2010}}{{sfn|Inman|2010}}{{sfn|Nilsson|Churakov|Sommer|Van Tran|2010}} Fossils of another Eocene australidelphian, the microbiotherian ''[[Woodburnodon]] casei'', have been described from the [[Antarctic Peninsula]],<ref name = "Goin">{{cite journal | last1 = Goin | first1 = F. J. | last2 = Zimicz | first2 = N.
 | last3 = Reguero | first3 = M. A. | last4 = Santillana | first4 = S. N.
 | last5 = Marenssi | first5 = S. A. | last6 = Moly | first6 = J. J.
 | title = New marsupial (Mammalia) from the Eocene of Antarctica, and the origins and affinities of the Microbiotheria
 | journal = Revista de la Asociación Geológica Argentina
 | volume = 62 | issue = 4 | pages = 597–603 | date = 2007
 | url = https://www.researchgate.net/publication/262722641 | access-date = 2016-07-17}}</ref> and fossils of a related early Eocene woodburnodontid have been found in [[Patagonia]].<ref name="Goin2015">{{cite book|author1= Goin, F. J.|author2= Woodburne, M. O.|author3=Zimicz, A. N.|author4= Martin, G. M.|author5= Chornogubsky, L.|title=A Brief History of South American Metatherians: Evolutionary Contexts and Intercontinental Dispersals|url=https://books.google.com/books?id=epnDCgAAQBAJ&pg=PA216|date=16 October 2015|publisher=Springer|isbn=978-94-017-7420-8|page= 216}}</ref>

==Habitat==
Monitos del monte live in the dense forests of highland Argentina and Chile,{{sfn|Macdonald|1995}}{{sfn|Nowak|Dickman|2005}}{{sfn|Lord|2007}}{{sfn|Gurovich|Stannard|Old|2015}} mainly in trees, where they construct spherical nests of water-resistant [[Chusquea culeou|colihue]] leaves. These leaves are then lined with moss or grass, and placed in well-protected areas of the tree, such as underbrush, tree cavities, or fallen timber.{{sfn|Feldhamer|2007}} The nests are sometimes covered with gray moss as a form of [[camouflage]]. These nests provide the monito del monte with some protection from cold, both when it is active and when it [[hibernation|hibernates]].

[[Habitat fragmentation|Fragmentation]] of [[Valdivian temperate rainforest]]s into non-contiguous areas is known to reduce the abundance of monitos del monte in a given area, but has little or no impact on whether it occurs in an area or not.<ref>{{Cite journal |title=Effects of landscape configuration on the occurrence and abundance of an arboreal marsupial from the Valdivian rainforest |journal=[[Revista Chilena de Historia Natural]] |last1=Fernández |first1=Victoria P. |last2=Rodríguez-Gómez |first2=Gloria B. |last3=Molina-Marín |first3=Dimas A. |last4=Castaño-Villa |first4=Gabriel J.|last5=Fontúrbel |first5=Francisco E. |issue= 1|volume=95 |doi=10.1186/s40693-022-00107-9   |year=2022|page=3 |doi-access=free |bibcode=2022RvCHN..95....3F }}</ref>

==Morphology==
Monitos del monte are small marsupials that look like mice. ''Dromiciops'' have the same dental formula as [[Opossum|''Didelphids'']]: {{DentalFormula|upper=5.1.3.4|lower=4.1.3.4}}, a total of 50 teeth.{{sfn|Feldhamer|2007}} Their size ranges from {{convert|16|-|42| g|abbr=on}}. They have short and dense fur that is primarily brown-gray with patches of white at their shoulders and back, and their underside is more of a cream or light gray color. Monitos del monte also have distinct black rings around their eyes. Their small furred ears are well-rounded and their rostrums are short. The head to body length is around {{convert|8|-|13| cm|abbr=on}}, and their tail length is between {{convert|9|and|13 |cm|abbr=on}}. Their tails are somewhat prehensile and mostly furred with the exception of {{convert|25|-|30| mm|abbr=on}} of the underside.{{sfn|Chick|2013}} The naked underside of their tails may contribute to increasing friction when the mammal is on a tree. The base of their tails also functions as a fat storage organ which they use during winter [[hibernation]].{{sfn|Chester|2008}} In a week, Monitos del monte can store enough fat to double their body size.{{sfn|Feldhamer|2007}}

===Sexual dimorphism===

At the end of the summer, female monitos del monte tend to be larger and heavier than males. The tails of the sexes also vary in size during this time; females have a thicker tail, which is where they store fat; the difference suggests that females need more energy than males during hibernation. The sexual dimorphism is only seen during this time and not year-round.{{sfn|Chick|2013}}

==Reproduction==
Monitos del monte have a monogamous mating system. The females have well-formed, fur-lined [[pouch (marsupial)|pouch]] containing four teats. They normally reproduce in the spring once a year and can have a litter size varying from one to five. They can feed a maximum of four offspring, so if there are five young, one will not survive.{{sfn|Chick|2013}} When the young are mature enough to leave the pouch, approximately five months, they are nursed in a distinctive [[nest]]. They are then carried on the mother's back. The young remain in association with the mother after weaning. Males and females both reach sexual maturity after two years.<ref name=msw3/>{{sfn|Spotorno|Marin|Yevenes|Walker|1997}}{{sfn|Brugni|Flores|2007}}{{sfn|Lidicker|Ghiselin|1996}}

==Habits==
[[File:Monito_del_monte_en_estado_de_sopor_invernal._(36391982075).jpg|thumb|right|A monito del monte in state of torpor.]]
The monito del monte is adapted to [[Arboreal locomotion|arboreal]] life; its tail and paws are [[Prehensility|prehensile]]. It is largely [[Nocturnality|nocturnal]] and, depending on the ambient and internal temperature, and on the availability of food, it spends much of the day in a state of [[torpor]]. Such behaviour enables it to survive periods of extreme weather and food shortage, conserving energy instead of foraging to no effect.

The animal covers its nest with moss for concealment, and for insulation and protection from bad weather.{{sf|Chick|2013}}<ref name="amm">{{cite web|title=Monito del Monte|url=http://www.arkive.org/monito-del-monte/dromiciops-gliroides/|website=Widescreen Arkive|access-date=9 December 2014|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20141215005838/http://www.arkive.org/monito-del-monte/dromiciops-gliroides/|archive-date=2014-12-15}}</ref>

==Diet==
The monito del monte depends on consuming both insects and fruit, with either component individually being nutritionally unbalanced. Fruit consumed comes from 16 species of plant, with the [[mistletoe]] species ''[[Tristerix corymbosus]]'' being a preferred source of fruit.<ref name="Fonturbel" /> A study performed in the temperate forests of southern Argentina showed a mutualistic seed dispersal relationship between ''D. gliroides'' and ''Tristerix corymbosus.'' The monito del monte is the sole dispersal agent for this plant, and without it the plant would likely become extinct. The monito del monte eats the fruit of ''T. corymbosus'', and germination takes place in the gut.{{sfn|Garcia|Rodríguez-Cabal|Amico|2009}}{{sfn|Amico|Rodriguez-Cabal|Aizen|2009}}

==Conservation==
For the past few years the number of ''Dromiciops'' has declined, and the species is now classified as "near threatened". Many factors contribute to the decline:{{bulleted list|its already limited habitat is constantly faced with deforestation and fragmentation;|the introduction of the [[domestic cat]] (''Felis catus'') is correlated with decrease in numbers of ''Dromiciops''| the creature is considered bad luck by natives – houses have been burned down after monitos del monte were seen inside;|  other people believe this marsupial is venomous or causes disease, though in reality they do not affect humans negatively.{{sfn|Feldhamer|2007}}{{sfn|Chick|2013}}}}

The monito del monte is not the only organism which will be affected if it becomes endangered. ''Dromiciops'' illustrate parasite-host specificity with the tick ''[[Ixodes neuquenensis]]''. This tick can only be found on the monito del monte, so it depends on the survival of this nearly endangered mammal.{{sfn|Feldhamer|2007}}{{sfn|Guglielmone|Venzal|Amico|Mangold|2004}} ''[[Tristerix|T. corymbosus]]'' also depends on the survival of this species, because without the seed dispersal agency of the monito del monte, it would not be able to reproduce.

Currently, there are minimal conservation efforts. Ecological studies are being conducted in the [[Chiloé Island]] that might help future conservation efforts. ''Dromiciops'' has been found in the [[Los Ruiles National Reserve]] and the [[Valdivian Coastal Reserve]], which are protected areas in Chile<ref name=amm /> and the Nothofagus forest of Parque Nacional Los Alerces, Chubut, Southern Argentina.{{sfn|Gurovich|Stannard|Old|2015}}

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| s2cid = 36199158
}}

* {{cite journal |last1=Thomas |first1=Oldfied |title=On Micoureus* griseus, Desm., with the Description of a new Genus and Species of Didelphyidae |journal=The Annals and Magazine of Natural History; Zoology, Botany, and Geology |date=1894 |volume=14 |series=6 |issue=81 |pages=184–188  |url=https://www.biodiversitylibrary.org/part/51493
|doi=10.1080/00222939408677788 }}

{{refend}}

{{Taxonbar|from=Q691991}}

[[Category:Microbiotheriidae]]
[[Category:Mammals described in 1894]]
[[Category:EDGE species]]
[[Category:Marsupials of Argentina]]
[[Category:Marsupials of Chile]]
[[Category:Mammals of Patagonia]]
[[Category:Mammals of the Andes]]
[[Category:Taxa named by Oldfield Thomas]]
[[Category:Fauna of the Valdivian temperate forests]]