Water Opossum
Chironectes minimus (Zimmermann, 1780)
Names
| English | Water Opossum |
|---|---|
| Dutch | Wateropossum |
| Spanish | Yapok |
| Chinese | 蹼足负鼠 |
| Scientific name | Chironectes minimus (Zimmermann, 1780) |
About this species
The water opossum (Chironectes minimus), also locally known as the yapok, is a marsupial of the family Didelphidae. It is the only monotypic species of its genus, Chironectes. This semiaquatic creature is found in and near freshwater streams and lakes from Mexico through Central and South America to Argentina and is the most aquatic living marsupial (the lutrine opossum also has semiaquatic habits). It is also the only extant marsupial species in which both sexes have a pouch. The now extinct thylacine, commonly referred to as the Tasmanian tiger, also exhibited this trait.
The local name for the water opossum, "yapok", may come from the name of the Oyapock River in French Guiana.
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El yapok, también conocido como zorro acuático (Chironectes minimus) es una especie de marsupial didelfimorfo de la familia Didelphidae, la única del género Chironectes caracterizado por su habilidad en el agua. A pesar de su amplia distribución, es una criatura tan esquiva y nocturna que raramente es observada, lo que ha dificultado enormemente su estudio científico durante siglos. El yapok también desempeña un papel ecológico como controlador de poblaciones de insectos acuáticos, ayudando a mantener el equilibrio de los ecosistemas ribereños en los que habita.
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蹼足负鼠属（学名：Chironectes）为哺乳纲的一属，属于负鼠亚科，这个属的唯一物种蹼足负鼠（学名：Chironectes minimus）由于爪间长有蹼，故得其名。最早化石纪录为更新世。水陆两栖的牠是极少数而最善水性的有袋类，更是现存唯一雌雄皆有育儿袋的物种。育儿袋能在水中完全闭合，保护袋内幼崽，至于雄性泳前则将性器置于体内。
成年体长11-12吋、尾长14-16吋。幼崽于出生后48天开始断奶。
在维基百科上阅读更多 · 文字：维基百科，CC BY-SA 4.0
Classification
| Kingdom | Animalia |
|---|---|
| Phylum | Chordata |
| Class | Mammalia |
| Order | Didelphimorphia |
| Family | Didelphidae |
| Genus | Chironectes |
In Suriname
Where it has been recorded
- Para1
Districts with at least one record that has coordinates. Shaded districts have records.
