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
Animals in the order Microbiotheria |
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Monito del monte |
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