Species MammalsDerby's Woolly Opossum

Derby's Woolly Opossum

Caluromys derbianus

Very rareMammal
Illustration of Derby's Woolly Opossum (Caluromys derbianus)

Derby's Woolly Opossum is an arboreal marsupial of tropical forests with soft, dense fur and a prehensile tail—one of the most tree-adapted of all North American marsupials. It has large eyes adapted for nocturnal foraging and is an important pollinator of tropical flowers, particularly balsa trees, as it feeds on nectar. It ranges from southern Mexico through Central America.

Habitat
Tropical rainforests and cloud forests of Mexico and Central America
Diet
Nectar, fruit, insects, and small vertebrates
How common
Very rare

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