Mammals · Microbiotheria · Microbiotheriidae
Southern Monito del Monte
Dromiciops gliroides
The species is abundant and widely distributed; it faces no significant short-term risk. See full glossary
The monito del monte is a tiny marsupial of the temperate rainforest of southern Chile and Argentina, and a genuine evolutionary relic: it is the sole survivor of the order Microbiotheria, and its closest living relatives are not in the Americas but in Australia. It is nocturnal, arboreal and omnivorous, with a fondness for insects and for the fruit of the quintral, a mistletoe for which it is the only known disperser. It hibernates in winter in spherical nests of bamboo lined with moss.
Weight
16 g – 42 g
Size
8 cm – 13 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
Fun facts
- taxonomíaAlthough it lives in the temperate forests of Chile and Argentina, its closest living relatives are the Australian marsupials rather than the American ones.
- Its lineage split from the rest of the American marsupials some 60 million years ago and is more closely related to kangaroos and koalas than to the opossums of its own continent: it is living evidence of the connection between South America, Antarctica and Australia.
- It is the only known disperser of the seeds of the quintral (Tristerix corymbosus), a mistletoe of the Valdivian forest: without the monito del monte, that plant does not reproduce.
Life cycle & biology
- Skeleton type
- Vertebrate - internal bony skeleton (mammal)
- Habitat & environment
- Valdivian temperate rainforest with quila and dense bamboo, in Chile and Argentina
- Sexual maturity
- 2 years
- Gestation / incubation
- 30 days
- Litter / clutch size
- 3
Sources consulted: https://es.wikipedia.org/wiki/Dromiciops_gliroides
Where to watch it
Parks and dive sites where this species has been documented.
Related species
Other species in the catalogue with the most in common with Southern Monito del Monte — same habitat, park, country, tags or family.
Geoffroy's Cat
Leopardus geoffroyi
Least ConcernCulpeo
Lycalopex culpaeus
Molina's Hog-nosed Skunk
Conepatus chinga
Pampas Fox
Lycalopex gymnocercus
Pampas Fox
Lycalopex griseus
Least ConcernPuma
Puma concolor
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