Didelphis poecilotus

J. A. Wagner, 1842

Southern White-eared Opossum

Taxonomy

Subclass : Theria
Infraclass : Marsupialia
Superorder : incertae sedis
Order : Didelphimorphia
Family : Didelphidae
Subfamily : Didelphinae
Tribe : Didelphini
Genus : Didelphis

Species status

Living
Found in the wild

Authority citation

Wagner, J.A. 1842. Diagnosen neuer Arten brasilischer Säugthiere. Archiv für Naturgeschichte 8(1):356-362.

Authority publication link

https://www.biodiversitylibrary.org/page/6697573

Original name as described

Didelphis poecilotus

Other common names

White-eared Opossum · Cassaco

Type material

NMW ST 54

Type kind

syntypes

Type locality

Angaba (= Cuiabá), Mato Grosso, Brazil.

Biogeographic realm

Neotropic

Country distribution

Brazil · Bolivia · Paraguay · Uruguay · Argentina

Distribution notes

S Brazil, E Bolivia, Paraguay, Uruguay, and N and C Argentina.

Taxonomy notes

split from D. albiventris; recently split under the spelling 'poecilotis', but this is an unjustified emendation and we preserve the original spelling, which is 'poecilotus'

Taxonomy notes citation

Lemos, B. and Cerqueira, R. 2002. Morphological differentiation in the white-eared opossum group (Didelphidae: Didelphis). Journal of Mammalogy 83(2):354-369. doi:10.1644/1545-1542(2002)083<0354:MDITWE>2.0.CO;2 · Cerqueira, R. and Tribe, C.J. 2008. Genus Didelphis. Pp. 17–25 in Gardner, A.L. (eds.). Mammals of South America. Volume 1: Marsupials, Xenarthrans, Shrews, and Bats. University of Chicago Press, Chicago, 690 pp. a#24356 · Amador, L.I. and Giannini, N.P. 2016. Phylogeny and evolution of body mass in didelphid marsupials (Marsupialia: Didelphimorphia: Didelphidae). Organisms Diversity & Evolution 16(3):641-657. doi:10.1007/s13127-015-0259-x · Dias, C.A.R. and Perini, F.A. 2018. Biogeography and early emergence of the genus Didelphis (Didelphimorphia, Mammalia). Zoologica Scripta 47(6):645-654. doi:10.1111/zsc.12306 · Dias, C.A.R., Santos Júnior, J.E., Pinto, C.M., Santos, F.R. and Perini, F.A. 2021. Mitogenomics of Didelphis (Mammalia; Didelphimorphia; Didelphidae) and insights into character evolution in the genus. Journal of Zoological Systematics and Evolutionary Research 59(2):498-509. doi:10.1111/jzs.12440 · Chemisquy, M.A., González-Ittig, R.E. and Martin, G.M. 2023. Hidden in plain sight: Didelphis albiventris (Didelphimorphia: Didelphidae) might not be a single species. Journal of Mammalian Evolution 30(4):873-889. doi:10.1007/s10914-023-09685-1 · Chemisquy, M.A., González-Ittig, R.E. and Martin, G.M. 2025. Taxonomic novelties in Didelphis albiventris Lund, 1840 and revalidation of Didelphis poecilotis A. Wagner, 1842 (Didelphimorphia, Didelphidae). Mastozoología Neotropical 32(2):e01124. doi:10.31687/saremMN.25.32.02.04.e1124

IUCN Red List status

Not Evaluated

Species Permalink

https://mammaldiversity.org/taxon/1006968

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.

Didelphys paragayensis

Oken, 1816

Family

Didelphidae

Root name

paragayensis

Validity status

synonym

Nomenclatural status

placedonindex

Authority page

1147

Authority page URI

https://www.biodiversitylibrary.org/page/59375894

Authority publication

Jena

Didelphis poecilotus

J. A. Wagner, 1842

Family

Didelphidae

Root name

poecilotus

Validity status

species

Nomenclatural status

available

Type

NMW ST 54

Type kind

syntypes

Authority page

358

Authority page URI

https://www.biodiversitylibrary.org/page/6697573

Authority publication

Archiv für Naturgeschichte

Didelphys poecilotus

J. A. Wagner, 1842

Family

Didelphidae

Root name

poecilotus

Validity status

synonym

Nomenclatural status

name_combination

Authority page

358

Authority page URI

https://www.biodiversitylibrary.org/page/6697573

Authority publication

Archiv für Naturgeschichte

Name usages

Wagner (1842:358, https://www.biodiversitylibrary.org/page/6697573) (information at https://hesperomys.com/a/20637)

Didelphys poecilonota

H. R. Schinz, 1844

Family

Didelphidae

Root name

poecilonota

Validity status

synonym

Nomenclatural status

unjustified_emendation

Authority page

504

Authority publication

Solothurn

Name usages

Gardner (2005) (information at https://hesperomys.com/a/8547)

Didelphys leucotis

J. A. Wagner, 1847

Family

Didelphidae

Root name

leucotis

Validity status

synonym

Nomenclatural status

available

Authority page

127

Authority page URI

https://www.biodiversitylibrary.org/page/11387577

Authority publication

Abhandlungen der Bayerischen Akademie der Wissenschaften

Name usages

  1. Wagner (1847:127, https://www.biodiversitylibrary.org/page/11387577) (information at https://hesperomys.com/a/38237)
  2. Gardner (2005) (information at https://hesperomys.com/a/8547)

Didelphys poecilotis

J. A. Wagner, 1847

Family

Didelphidae

Root name

poecilotis

Validity status

synonym

Nomenclatural status

incorrectsubsequentspelling

Authority page

126

Authority page URI

https://www.biodiversitylibrary.org/page/11387576

Authority publication

Abhandlungen der Bayerischen Akademie der Wissenschaften

Name usages

  1. Wagner (1847:126, https://www.biodiversitylibrary.org/page/11387576) (information at https://hesperomys.com/a/38237)
  2. Murray (1866:363, https://www.biodiversitylibrary.org/page/15580359) (information at https://hesperomys.com/a/39798)
  3. Gardner (2005) (information at https://hesperomys.com/a/8547)

Didelphys Azaræ m. antiqua

F. Ameghino, 1889

Family

Didelphidae

Root name

antiqua

Validity status

synonym

Nomenclatural status

preoccupied

Type

MLP 11-66

Type kind

holotype

Authority page

278

Authority page URI

https://www.biodiversitylibrary.org/page/51769797

Authority publication

Actas de la Academia Nacional de Ciencias de la República Argentina

Name usages

Ameghino (1889:278, https://www.biodiversitylibrary.org/page/51769797) (information at https://hesperomys.com/a/19339)

Didelphys Azaræ fossilis

F. Ameghino, 1889

Family

Didelphidae

Root name

fossilis

Validity status

synonym

Nomenclatural status

misidentification

Authority page

278

Authority page URI

https://www.biodiversitylibrary.org/page/51769797

Authority publication

Actas de la Academia Nacional de Ciencias de la República Argentina

Name usages

Ameghino (1889:278, https://www.biodiversitylibrary.org/page/51769797) (information at https://hesperomys.com/a/19339)

Didelphys Lechei

von Ihering, 1892

Family

Didelphidae

Root name

lechei

Validity status

synonym

Nomenclatural status

available

Type

BMNH:Mamm:1891.3.20.9

Type kind

holotype

Type specimen URI

https://data.nhm.ac.uk/object/b9ce1a2e-f86f-49d0-9e9f-673590a148fc

Authority page

98

Authority page URI

https://www.biodiversitylibrary.org/page/49081901

Authority publication

Anais do Estado do Rio Grande do Sul

Name usages

Gardner (2005) (information at https://hesperomys.com/a/8547)

Didelphis paraguayensis

J. A. Allen, 1902

Family

Didelphidae

Root name

paraguayensis

Validity status

synonym

Nomenclatural status

available

Authority page

267

Authority publication

Bulletin of the American Museum of Natural History

Name usages

  1. Thomas (1910:247, https://www.biodiversitylibrary.org/page/16094672) (information at https://hesperomys.com/a/10053)
  2. Lönnberg (1913:35, https://www.biodiversitylibrary.org/page/6426241) (information at https://hesperomys.com/a/15431)
  3. Osgood (1914:148, https://www.biodiversitylibrary.org/page/2646789) (information at https://hesperomys.com/a/20586)
  4. Ihering (1914:344, https://www.biodiversitylibrary.org/page/10800738) (information at https://hesperomys.com/a/72507)
  5. Thomas (1926:318) (information at https://hesperomys.com/a/19806)
  6. Vieira (1950:343) (information at https://hesperomys.com/a/61585)
  7. Gardner (2005) (information at https://hesperomys.com/a/8547)

Didelphys paraguayensis

Trouessart, 1905

Family

Didelphidae

Root name

paraguayensis

Validity status

synonym

Nomenclatural status

name_combination

Authority page

853

Authority page URI

https://www.biodiversitylibrary.org/page/53423734

Authority publication

Berlin

Name usages

Trouessart (1905:853, https://www.biodiversitylibrary.org/page/53423734) (information at https://hesperomys.com/a/59290)

Didelphis paraguayensis bonariensis

Marelli, 1930

Family

Didelphidae

Root name

bonariensis

Validity status

synonym

Nomenclatural status

available

Authority page

2

Authority publication

La Epoca

Name usages

Gardner (2005) (information at https://hesperomys.com/a/8547)

Didelphis paraguayensis dennleri

Marelli, 1930

Family

Didelphidae

Root name

dennleri

Validity status

synonym

Nomenclatural status

available

Authority page

2

Authority publication

La Epoca

Name usages

Gardner (2005) (information at https://hesperomys.com/a/8547)

Didelphis lechii

C. O. da C. Vieira, 1955

Family

Didelphidae

Root name

lechii

Validity status

synonym

Nomenclatural status

incorrectsubsequentspelling

Authority page

345

Authority publication

Arquivos de zoologia do estado de São Paulo

antigua

A. L. Gardner, 2005

Family

Didelphidae

Root name

antigua

Validity status

synonym

Nomenclatural status

incorrectsubsequentspelling · notusedas_valid

Authority page

5

Authority publication

Baltimore

Name usages

Gardner (2005:5) (information at https://hesperomys.com/a/8547)

Didelphis poecilotis

Chemisquy, González-Ittig, & G. M. Martin, 2025

Family

Didelphidae

Root name

poecilotis

Validity status

synonym

Nomenclatural status

namecombination · incorrectsubsequent_spelling

Authority page

8

Authority publication

Mastozoología Neotropical

Name usages

Chemisquy, González-Ittig & Martin (2025:8) (information at https://hesperomys.com/a/69906)

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