Caenolestes fuliginosus

(Tomes, 1863)

Dusky Shrew-opossum

Taxonomy

Subclass : Theria
Infraclass : Marsupialia
Superorder : Ameridelphia
Order : Paucituberculata
Family : Caenolestidae
Genus : Caenolestes

Species status

Living
Found in the wild
Listed in MSW3 2005

Authority citation

Tomes, R.F. 1863-05. Notice of a new American form of marsupial. Proceedings of the Zoological Society of London 1863(1):50-51.

Authority publication link

https://www.biodiversitylibrary.org/page/30681349

Original name as described

Hyracodon fuliginosus

Other common names

Common Gray Shrew-opossum · Dusky Caenolestid · Silky Shrew-opossum

Type material

BMNH:Mamm:1907.1.1.191

Type kind

holotype

Type specimen URI

https://data.nhm.ac.uk/object/2f8da493-6e3b-4621-aaae-5365f90ad489

Type locality

"Ecuador." Restricted to "on Mt. Pichincha" by Stone, 1914 and to "from the paramos of Mt. Chimborazo or Mt. Pichincha" by Osgood, 1921, although the exact locality is uncertain.

Biogeographic realm

Neotropic

Country distribution

Colombia · Venezuela · Ecuador

Distribution notes

Andes Cordilleras Centrales, Orientales, and C Occidentalis of Colombia and extreme SW Venezuela and the Andes of C and N Ecuador.

Distribution references

González, B., Ferro-Muñoz, N., Calvache-Sánchez, C., Rojas, D., & Martin, G. M. (2024). Mind the gap: new records of Caenolestes in the Western Andes of Colombia challenge its current biogeographic patterns. Journal of Mammalogy, 105(4), 777-791.

Taxonomy notes

The phylogenetic relationship of this species to other Caenolestes is unresolved, but mitochondrial (cytochrome b) and skull morphometric data suggest either a basal position relative to other Caenolestes species except _C. convelatus_ (with low support), or a close relationship to C. convelatus (Ojala-Barbour et al. 2013). Three subspecies were recognized by Bublitz (1987) based on skull morphology, and were later supported by skull morphometric analysis (González et al. 2024), although they remain to be tested using molecular data: _C. f. fuliginosus_, _C. f. centralis_, and _C. f. obscurus_.

Taxonomy notes citation

Bublitz, J. (1987). Untersuchungen zur Systematik der rezenten Caenolestidae Trouessart, 1898 unter Verwendung craniometrischer Methoden. Bonner zoologische Monographien, 23, 1-96. · Ojala-Barbour, R., Pinto, C. M., Brito M, J., Albuja V, L., Lee Jr, T. E., & Patterson, B. D. (2013). A new species of shrew-opossum (Paucituberculata: Caenolestidae) with a phylogeny of extant caenolestids. Journal of Mammalogy, 94(5), 967-982. · González, B., Ferro-Muñoz, N., Calvache-Sánchez, C., Rojas, D., & Martin, G. M. (2024). Mind the gap: new records of Caenolestes in the Western Andes of Colombia challenge its current biogeographic patterns. Journal of Mammalogy, 105(4), 777-791.

IUCN Red List status

Least Concern

Species Permalink

https://www.mammaldiversity.org/taxon/1000009

Country distribution map

The map below provides a general overview. Most species inhabit only specific regions within countries. Hover over the highlighted regions to see the country name.

Names and synonyms

Present and past (if available) associated names to the species. Click on a name to view its details. If the list is long, scroll down to see more.

Hyracodon fuliginosus

(Tomes, 1863)

Family

Caenolestidae

Root name

fuliginosus

Validity status

species

Nomenclatural status

available

Type

BMNH:Mamm:1907.1.1.191

Type kind

holotype

Type specimen URI

https://data.nhm.ac.uk/object/2f8da493-6e3b-4621-aaae-5365f90ad489

Authority page

51

Authority page URI

https://www.biodiversitylibrary.org/page/30681349

Authority publication

Proceedings of the Zoological Society of London

Name usages

Murray (1866:362, https://www.biodiversitylibrary.org/page/15580358) (information at https://hesperomys.com/a/39798)

Caenolestes obscurus

O. Thomas, 1895

Family

Caenolestidae

Root name

obscurus

Validity status

synonym

Nomenclatural status

available

Type

BMNH:Mamm:1896.1.7.1

Type kind

holotype

Type specimen URI

https://data.nhm.ac.uk/object/21af3fb7-d523-4118-896f-6e3d232e6249

Authority page

367

Authority page URI

https://www.biodiversitylibrary.org/page/25122855

Authority publication

Annals and Magazine of Natural History

Name usages

  1. Corbet & Hill (1980:10) (information at https://hesperomys.com/a/63069)
  2. Honacki, Kinman & Koeppl (1982:26) (information at https://hesperomys.com/a/63071)

Coenolestes fuliginosus

O. Thomas, 1917

Family

Caenolestidae

Root name

fuliginosus

Validity status

synonym

Nomenclatural status

name_combination

Authority page

3

Authority page URI

https://www.biodiversitylibrary.org/page/29836306

Authority publication

Smithsonian Miscellaneous Collections

Name usages

Thomas (1917:3, https://www.biodiversitylibrary.org/page/29836306) (information at https://hesperomys.com/a/11745)

Caenolestes tatei

H. E. Anthony, 1923

Family

Caenolestidae

Root name

tatei

Validity status

synonym

Nomenclatural status

available

Type

AMNH M-61860

Type kind

holotype

Type specimen URI

http://portal.vertnet.org/o/amnh/mammals?id=urn-catalog-amnh-mammals-m-61860

Authority page

1

Authority publication

American Museum Novitates

Name usages

  1. Corbet & Hill (1980:10) (information at https://hesperomys.com/a/63069)
  2. Honacki, Kinman & Koeppl (1982:26, 27) (information at https://hesperomys.com/a/63071)
  3. Gardner (2005) (information at https://hesperomys.com/a/9694)

Caenolestes fuliginosus

Corbet & J. Edwards Hill, 1980

Family

Caenolestidae

Root name

fuliginosus

Validity status

synonym

Nomenclatural status

name_combination

Authority page

10

Authority publication

London

Name usages

  1. Corbet & Hill (1980:10) (information at https://hesperomys.com/a/63069)
  2. Honacki, Kinman & Koeppl (1982:26) (information at https://hesperomys.com/a/63071)
  3. Corbet & Hill (1991:12) (information at https://hesperomys.com/a/63070)
  4. Gardner (1993:25) (information at https://hesperomys.com/a/68998)
  5. Gardner (2005) (information at https://hesperomys.com/a/9694)
  6. Mittermeier & Wilson (2015:195) (information at https://hesperomys.com/a/59410)
  7. Mammal Diversity Database (2018:ID #41506) (information at https://hesperomys.com/a/67336)
  8. Mammal Diversity Database (2019:ID #41506) (information at https://hesperomys.com/a/67337)
  9. Mammal Diversity Database (2024, https://www.mammaldiversity.org/taxon/1000009) (information at https://hesperomys.com/a/67250)
  10. International Union for the Conservation of Nature (2024, https://www.iucnredlist.org/species/41506/22179949) (information at https://hesperomys.com/a/67246)

Caenolestes fuliginosus centralis

Bublitz, 1987

Family

Caenolestidae

Root name

centralis

Validity status

synonym

Nomenclatural status

available

Type

FMNH:Mamm:70825

Type kind

holotype

Type specimen URI

http://portal.vertnet.org/o/fmnh/mammals?id=756ba01f-dba6-4ae2-b5b0-3384af3fefc6

Authority page

74

Authority page URI

https://www.biodiversitylibrary.org/page/44936063

Authority publication

Bonner zoologische Monographien

Name usages

  1. Gardner (2005) (information at https://hesperomys.com/a/9694)
  2. Mittermeier & Wilson (2015:195) (information at https://hesperomys.com/a/59410)

Caenolestes fuliginosus fuliginosus

A. L. Gardner, 2005

Family

Caenolestidae

Root name

fuliginosus

Validity status

synonym

Nomenclatural status

name_combination

Authority publication

Baltimore

Name usages

  1. Gardner (2005) (information at https://hesperomys.com/a/9694)
  2. Mittermeier & Wilson (2015:195) (information at https://hesperomys.com/a/59410)

Caenolestes fuliginosus obscurus

A. L. Gardner, 2005

Family

Caenolestidae

Root name

obscurus

Validity status

synonym

Nomenclatural status

name_combination

Authority publication

Baltimore

Name usages

  1. Gardner (2005) (information at https://hesperomys.com/a/9694)
  2. Mittermeier & Wilson (2015:195) (information at https://hesperomys.com/a/59410)

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