Long-nosed caenolestid

Long-nosed caenolestid
Scientific classification Edit this classification
Domain: Eukaryota
Kingdom: Animalia
Phylum: Chordata
Class: Mammalia
Infraclass: Marsupialia
Order: Paucituberculata
Family: Caenolestidae
Genus: Rhyncholestes
Osgood, 1924
Species:
R. raphanurus
Binomial name
Rhyncholestes raphanurus
Osgood, 1924
Subspecies

R. r. continentalis Bublitz, 1987
R. r. raphanurus Osgood, 1924

Range of the long-nosed caenolestid

The long-nosed caenolestid (Rhyncholestes raphanurus), also known as the Chilean shrew opossum or long-nosed shrew opossum, is a shrew opossum that occurs in temperate forests of Argentina and southern Chile. It was first described by American zoologist Wilfred Hudson Osgood in 1924. The long-nosed caenolestid resembles Caenolestes species in morphology. It is characterized by a long, pointed snout, small eyes and ears, and one claw on a digit of each of the thin limbs. Little is known of its behavior; it appears to be terrestrial (lives on land), nocturnal (active mainly at night) and omnivorous. It prefers cool, moist areas, and has a small distribution. It is classified as near threatened by the IUCN.

  1. ^ Martin, G.M. (2017) [amended version of 2015 assessment]. "Rhyncholestes raphanurus". IUCN Red List of Threatened Species. 2017: e.T19710A116333652. doi:10.2305/IUCN.UK.2017-2.RLTS.T19710A116333652.en. Retrieved 18 February 2022.