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Original source: Monito del Monte
Author: José Luis Bartheld from Valdivia, Chile
Original source: Monito del Monte
Author: José Luis Bartheld from Valdivia, Chile
Some facts about the
Monito del monte
Adult weight : 0.024 kg (0.0528 lbs)
Female maturity :730 days
Male maturity : 730 days
Litter size : 3
Interval between litters : 365 days
Monito del monte
Order : Microbiotheria
Family : Microbiotheriidae
Species : Dromiciops gliroides
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
The Monito del monte is listed as Vulnerable (VU), considered to be facing a high risk of extinction in the wild, on the IUCN Red List of Threatened Species