Mammals · Didelphimorphia · Didelphidae

Mexican Mouse Opossum

Marmosa mexicana

Least Concern

The species is abundant and widely distributed; it faces no significant short-term risk. See full glossary

The Mexican mouse opossum is a small, tree-dwelling marsupial of Central America, with large black eyes ringed by a dark mask and a bare prehensile tail longer than its body. The female has no pouch: the young cling to the teats and travel hanging from her belly. It is nocturnal and omnivorous, feeding on insects, fruit and nectar in the understorey and the middle storey. It is frequent in banana and coffee plantations.

Weight

30 g – 80 g

Size

11 cm – 16 cm

Lifespan

3 years

Diet

Omnivore

Combines animal and plant food depending on availability.

Activity

Nocturnal

Active mainly at night.

Social structure

Solitary

Lives and hunts alone, joining others only to breed.

Sighting difficulty

Easy

RainforestTemperate forestOmnivore Nocturnal Solitary Rainforest Temperate forest Mammal

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Fun facts

It has no pouch: the young, minute at birth, cling to the teats on their mother's belly and travel hanging from her for weeks, completely exposed.
It is an occasional pollinator: pushing its muzzle into the large flowers of balsa and other tropical trees to drink nectar, it carries off pollen stuck to the hair of its face.

Life cycle & biology

Skeleton type: Vertebrate - internal bony skeleton (mammal)
Habitat & environment: Rainforest, dry forest, plantations and field margins of Mexico and Central America
Sexual maturity: 13.4 months
Gestation / incubation: 14 days
Litter / clutch size: 11

Sources consulted: https://es.wikipedia.org/wiki/Marmosa_mexicana