CRAB-EATING OPOSSUM.
AZARA’S OPOSSUM.[124]
This is a smaller animal than the common or Virginian Opossum, but its tail is long in proportion to its body. It is the South American representative of its larger fellow species, and is found over a very wide extent of country. It was noticed by the celebrated naturalist D’Azara in Paraguay; Mr. Darwin found it at Maldonado, La Plata; and specimens have been obtained from the Brazils, Santa Fé de Bogota, and Bolivia. This is because it is not entirely a forest animal, but is found occasionally in the open country. It may be distinguished from the common Opossum by three distinct black marks on its head, by its large tail, one-third of which is covered with fur like that on the body. The rest of this important member is scaly, with small hairs springing from between, the scales being black in the second third, and white at the tip in colour. The habits of this Opossum are nocturnal, and it lies concealed by day in burrows in the ground or in thickets. At night it climbs trees to feed upon fruits and birds’ eggs. It will chase and catch sleeping birds, and suck their blood like a Weasel.
THE CRAB-EATING OPOSSUM.[125]
A small Opossum, with a long black tail tipped with white, and a dull-coloured fur to its body, lives in Brazil and Guiana, and has a very omnivorous disposition. Preferring swampy situations, it lives mostly on the trees, hunts small birds and insects, and even catches a reptile now and then, but its fondness for the Crustacea of the swamps is proverbial, and hence its name of Crab-eater.
Another species is interesting from being found in the part of California which adjoins Mexico. The Short-headed Opossum also belongs to this group, and is from the same locality. Besides these, there are several smaller pouch-bearing Opossums, without the long hair of those just mentioned, and they are from Brazil, Guiana, and Surinam—for instance, the Quica, the Naked-tailed, and the Four Spotted kinds. The Philander Opossum is a bird-hunter, and lives in Surinam.
The next group of Opossums have no pouch, but there may be folds of the skin protecting the mammæ.
THE THICK-TAILED OPOSSUM.[126]
As its name implies, this pouchless Opossum has a very thick tail. Moreover, it has smaller ears than the other Opossums, and has a short head and short legs. The fur is made up of harsh hairs, which are close to the body, and there is but little under fur. Its colour is yellow-brown, but the eye and muzzle are brownish, and the tail, with the terminal two-thirds, is black, with the exception of a small white spot at the end. It inhabits Brazil and Paraguay, and extends southwards to the River Plate. One of the Opossums was kept by D’Azara, who found it quiet, tame, and stupid; but having been fed on raw meat, and a parrot happening to come too close, it killed the bird in a moment. There are folds of skin in the lower part of the abdomen, but no pouch, and there are six mammæ.