[Taxacom] ID of this pet "rodent" species

[Alex Borisenko]

Hi Ken,

It appears that there is no clarity on the animal's actual 
origin, so South America is not a givem. If you look closely 
at the photos of the marsupials you suggested, you will 
notice that they have more complex ear structure, compared 
to the beasts on Yen's pictures and usually a longer muzzle. 
The short cuddly muzzle of Yen's creatures is pretty 
suggestive of a rodent. Besides, opossums do not tend to get 
fat in the body, because they deposit fat reserves in their 
tail (don't know about burramyids, honestly). Please check 
out the photos of the European forest dormouse, Dryomys 
nitedula, for comparison:

http://www.natuurbeleving.be/zoogdieren/Bosslaper_Dryomys-nitedula.php
http://www.aquatek.narod.ru/akvatek/addphoto/gryzun/son_lesn/soniales02_pr.jpg
http://www.fauna.nukri.org/mam/2_sonia_l.jpg

I would bet a substantial sum that it actually is a 
Dryomys... I have seen them alive and know that they do well 
in captivity.

Best wishes,
Alex







Kenneth Kinman wrote:
> Hi Yen,
>        I just can't seem to get your pet out of my mind.  I just read
> your original post which says it might have come from South America.  If
> so, it might be a well-fed specimen of Marmosa murina.  If it is a
> female and lacks a pouch, it is probably a Marmosa.  They are also
> larger than the burramyids that were discussed.  From the photograph, I
> can't tell how long this pet is.
>       --------Ken
> 
> 
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-- 
____________________________________________

Alex Borisenko, Ph.D.
Curator of zoological collections
Biodiversity Institute of Ontario
University of Guelph
Guelph, Ontario, Canada N1G 2W1
Phone: +1 519 824-4120 ext. 54834
Fax: +1 519 824-5703
E-mail: aborisen at uoguelph.ca
http://mammaliabol.org/
http://www.dnabarcoding.ca/