NEW RECORD OF <em>Glironia venusta</em> (BUSHY-TAILED OPOSSUM) (MAMMALIA, GLIRONIIDAE) FOR THE STATE OF RONDÔNIA – BRAZIL

Abstract

The bushy-tailed opossum Glironia venusta Thomas, 1912 is a rare and small marsupial (head and body length of 160-205 mm), whose distribution is poorly known in the upper Amazonian region of Brazil (State of Amazonas), Ecuador, Peru, and Bolivia (MARSHAL, 1978; EMMONS & FEER, 1997; NOWAK, 1999) (Figure 1). Four out of nine specimens recorded in the literature were acquired from commercial animal dealers (MARSHAL, op. cit.). Glironia venusta is listed in the 2002 IUCN Red List of Threatened Species as vulnerable (IUCN, 2002). On 17 May 2001, an individual of G. venusta was captured in a pitfall trap (200 liter with 90 centimeter of height) with drift fences, in an area of open rainforest during a study of snake community of the Jaburi Farm (11º35’-11º38’S; 60º41’-60º45’W; 280 m asl), Municipality of Espigão do Oeste, State of Rondônia, Brazil. The opossum was photographed (Figure 2) and immediately released. Only this G. venusta individual was trapped from a total of 155 marsupials captured within a year. At the study site, suggesting that this species present a low density in the area and/or is difficult to trap using a pitfall due to its predominantly arboreal habits (EMMONS & FEER, 1997; NOWAK, 1999). This is the first record of this species for the State of Rondônia.