Monito Del Monte

The monito del monte (Spanish for "little mountain monkey"), Dromiciops gliroides, also called chumaihuén in mapudungun is a diminutive marsupial native only to southwestern South America (Chile and Argentina). It is the only extant species in the ancient order Microbiotheria, and the sole New World representative of the superorder Australidelphia (all other New World marsupials are members of Ameridelphia). The species is nocturnal and arboreal, and lives in thickets of Chilean bamboo in the Valdivian temperate rain forests of the southern Andes, aided by its partially prehensile tail. It eats primarily insects and other small invertebrates, supplemented with fruit.

Read more about Monito Del Monte:  Phylogeny and Biogeography, Size, Reproduction, Habitat, Role As A Seed Disperser

Famous quotes containing the word monte:

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