Monito del monte

Monito del monte

Order : Microbiotheria

  The Monito del monte (Dromiciops gliroides), meaning "little mountain monkey" is also know by the names "Colocolo" or "Chimaihuén". It lives in South America, mostly in Chile and Argentina. They are once believed to belong to the Didelphimorphia, but actually are in an order of their own. Monitos del Monte are mostly carnivorous, feeding on insects and intervertebrates, occasionaly some fruit. They are especially known for their ability to double their body weight in a week (!). They do this when it is time to hybernate. Native people with superstition are scared of the Monitos del monte and have even burnt down their houses when they saw one inside...

Picture copyright by Jaime E Jiménez

Facts about the order Microbiotheria, the monito del monte

The Monito del Monte is the only member of its family (Microbiotheriidae) and the only surviving member of an ancient order, the Microbiotheria, which is known from Oligocene and Miocene times in South America. (Full text)

In the rain forests of the South the “Pudu”, the smallest deer in the world and the unique marsupial, the “monito del monte” are good targets for research. (Full text)

The Monito del Monte is the only member of its family, and the only surviving member of an ancient order, the Microbiotheria, which is known from Oligocene and Miocene times in South America. (Full text)

Research Miconia MICROBIOTHERIA Microbiotheria is a family of Metatheria containing one family, Microbiotheriidae, with the species monito del monte (Dromiciops australis) found in the Andes of Chile and Argentina. (Full text)

The fossil history of Microbiotheria is only known from the late Oligocene and early Miocene of southern Argentina. (Full text)