Grey-bellied shrew opossum
The gray-bellied caenolestid (Caenolestes caniventer ), or grey-bellied shrew opossum, is a shrew opossum found in humid, temperate forests and moist grasslands of western Ecuador and northwestern Peru. It was first described by American zoologist Harold Elmer Anthony in 1921. Little is known about the behavior of the gray-bellied caenolestid. It appears to be terrestrial (land-living) and crepuscular (active around twilight) or nocturnal (active at night). Diet consists of invertebrate larvae, small vertebrates and plant material. The IUCN classifies the gray-bellied caenolestid as near threatened.
The gray-bellied caenolestid inhabit cool, moist areas with good cover; it is known from humid, temperate forests at altitudes of up to 2,900 metres (9,500 ft), and moist grasslands in the subtropics. It occurs in small tunnels under tree roots by streams. The range covers western Ecuador and northwestern Peru. The IUCN classifies the gray-bellied caenolestid as near threatened. Its population has decreased by nearly 20% since the 1990s; numbers are feared to be declining due to deforestation and agricultural expansion. The gray-bellied caenolestid occurs in Cajas National Park and Mazán Ecological Reserve.
Little is known about the behavior of the gray-bellied caenolestid. It appears to be terrestrial (land-living) and crepuscular (active around twilight) or nocturnal (active at night). It appears to be an "opportunistic feeder". Analysis of stomach contents of individuals from Peru suggested a diet comprised largely (up to 75%) by invertebrate larvae (such as arachnids and centipedes); small vertebrates and plant material are also consumed. A pregnant female captured in Ecuador was found to have two fetuses in its womb.
