Mystery creature found in 'forbidden cloud forest' of Peru is new species of marsupial

By Kristina Killgrove published 2 days ago

The newly described mouse opossum was discovered at a surprisingly high altitude in the Andes.



a small brown mouse-like marsupial with large black eyes, small ears, and a long, narrow nose sits on a branch and stares at the camera
This new species of marsupial was discovered in Peru's remote "cloud forest." (Image credit: Pedro Peloso)



While exploring the region around an archaeological site in the Peruvian Andes, researchers discovered a never-before-seen creature. The tiny, big-eyed marsupial — named Marmosa chachapoya — is a newly identified species of mouse opossum.

"We know very little about this species, including its natural history and distribution, and only one specimen has been collected so far," Silvia Pavan, a biologist at Cal Poly Humboldt who led the research expedition that discovered the creature, said in a statement.

Pavan and her team were searching for a mysterious species of squirrel in Río Abiseo National Park in 2018, when they found the opossum. The little mammal, which was just 4 inches (10 centimeters) long, had reddish-brown fur and mask-like face markings.

"I realized immediately that this was something unusual," Pavan said, in part because related species of mouse opossum are not typically found at that altitude — 8,740 feet (2,664 meters) above sea level.

The team spent years studying the opossum's DNA and physical characteristics and comparing them to data from other mouse opossums in museum collections around the world. In June, the researchers published their detailed study in the journal American Museum Novitates, naming the marsupial Marmosa chachapoya, in honor of the ancient people who inhabited the region before the Inca Empire took over.

More:
https://www.livescience.com/animals/land-mammals/mystery-creature-found-in-forbidden-cloud-forest-of-peru-is-new-species-of-marsupial