Rediscovery and range extension of the black-shouldered opossum Caluromysiops irrupta Sanborn, 1951 (Didelphimorphia, Didelphidae) in Brazil

Abstract

Caluromysiops irrupta is a rare marsupial that inhabits the western part of the Amazon forest. It is an arboreal and nocturnal species, and its real distribution is yet to be investigated. Since its description by Sanborn in 1951, only eight records were reported from Peru, Colombia, and northwestern Brazil. In this work, we provide a new record for Mato Grosso state, Brazil, based on a specimen captured during a faunal rescue of vegetation suppression. This record represents the easternmost limit of the distribution of the black-shouldered opossum and the second known specimen from Brazil, extending its range about 718 km toward an area close to lands under intensive use and high rate of deforestation. The present record is an evidence of the potential of faunal rescues for generating data, which are useful for conservation and management purposes in the Neotropics.

An additional record for the rare Black-Shouldered Opossum Caluromysiops irrupta Sanborn, 1951 (Didelphimorphia: Didelphidae) in Northwestern Brazil

“…175 km NW of the only voucher recorded in Brazil (Figure 2, Locality 8), it is noteworthy as it represents an additional record for a very poorly known species (now known from 10 localities). This record also supports earlier data on its arboreal and nocturnal or crepuscular habits, and confirms its presence in the time frame between the first record in 1964, by Vivo and Gomes (1989), and the most recent record, in 2013 (Barbosa et al 2015).…”

“…The presence of dense undergrowth has also been reported (Emmons 1984), and specimens have been seen foraging on Quararibea cordata trees (Janson et al 1981) in unflooded forest. Our record was made on a primary forest, yet near an unpaved road, and the specimen reported by Barbosa et al (2015) was seen in …”

“…It seems that the presence of Caluromysiops irrupta is related to the presence of taller trees in either primary or secondary forest, given its preference of the canopy or subcanopy, although it might be seen at lower heights (as in the present record). The only record of C. irrupta on the ground is that of Barbosa et al (2015), but that individual was captured while walking over recently fallen bamboos, in an area surrounded by recently cut trees (J.L. Barbosa, pers.…”

“…It is currently considered critically endangered in Brazil (MMA 2014), based on the fact that until recently (Barbosa et al 2015) its presence in Brazil was known from a single specimen collected in the 1960s (Vivo and Gomes 1990). The scarce information available indicates its distribution is restricted to Amazonian lowland mature tropical humid forests, below 700 m (Emmons 2008;Astúa 2015).…”

“…It is also the only voucher recorded for the species in Brazil (MZUSP 11681). For 50 years this specimen remained the sole known record of the species in Brazil until Barbosa et al (2015) reported a new specimen, captured, photographed and released in Paranaíta, Mato Grosso state, which extended the known distribution over 700 km eastwards.…”