page_title: Northern red-sided opossum
section_title: Characteristics
hierarchical_section_title: Northern red-sided opossum / Characteristics
caption_attribution_description: English: Skull of Monodelphis brevicaudata, modified from Wible (2003). Skull (A–D) and mandible (C) in dorsal (A), ventral (B), left lateral (C), and caudal (D) views. Abbreviations: an angular process; as alisphenoid; astp alisphenoid tympanic process; bo basioccipital; bs basisphenoid; coc coronoid crest; con mandibular condyle; cor coronoid process; ctpp caudal tympanic process of the petrosal; ec ectotympanic; eo exoccipital; fc fenestra cochleae; fm foramen magnum; fr frontal; ham pterygoid hamulus; inf incisive foramen; iof infraorbital foramen; ip interparietal; jf jugular foramen; ju jugal; lac lacrimal; lacf lacrimal foramen; m malleus; maf masseteric fossa; mapf major palatine foramen; mf mental foramen; mpf minor palatine foramen; mx maxilla; na nasal; oc occipital condyle; pa parietal; pal palatine; pcp paracondylar process of the exoccipital; pe petrosal; pmx premaxilla; pgp postglenoid process; ppt postpalatine torus; pptf foramen in the postpalatine torus; ps presphenoid; pt pterygoid; ptn posttemporal foramen; ptp posttympanic process; rtpp rostral tympanic process of the petrosal; so supraoccipital; sq squamosal; tl temporal line.
context_page_description: The northern red-sided opossum or the Guianan short-tailed opossum, Monodelphis brevicaudata, is an opossum species from South America. It is found in Bolivia, Brazil. French Guiana, Guyana, Suriname and Venezuela.
context_section_description: Body length is 11–14 cm (​4 ¹⁄₄–​5 ¹⁄₂ in). Tail length is 4.5–6.5 cm (​1 ³⁄₄–​2 ¹⁄₂ in). They are red-legged mouse like marsupials that weigh anywhere between 67 and 95 g. There is no recognizable sexual dimorphism between the males and females, though the males are slightly larger than the females. The distinctive feature of the M. brevicaudata is the short, dense, grey or black fur they on their dorsal side with red fur on the lateral side that continues down to the feet.
caption: Northern red-sided opossum skull
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