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Fun Facts About The Brown Four-eyed Opossum
Written by Marina K. Villatoro   
Monday, 05 July 2010 08:39
Brown Four eyed Opossums are tiny marsupials with huge eyes that look a lot like big rats. They can be found in all forested habitats of Costa Rica but especially in the South Pacific Region. Their range extends to all Central America and the Northern Region of South America. These guys also get their name from its brownish to yellowish fur color and the creamy white spot that they have above each eye.
by MarinaK.Villatoro


Brown Four eyed Opossums are tiny marsupials with huge eyes that look a lot like big rats. They can be found in all forested habitats of Costa Rica but especially in the South Pacific Region. Their range extends to all Central America and the Northern Region of South America. These guys also get their name from its brownish to yellowish fur color and the creamy white spot that they have above each eye.

These guys are strongly nocturnal and omnivorous animals. They enjoy feeding on fruits, small vertebrates and invertebrates. They are also very small mammals that do not live long lives. As adults average 40 cm in total length and weigh as much as 1 pound. The longest recorded time a brown four-eyed opossum lived in captivity is 4 years.

The Brown Four eyed Opossums are mammals that build nests. Normally they are made of leaves and twigs in tree branches or under rocks and logs. They are terrestrial which means that they spend their lives in the ground. They are not commonly known by their names, young / baby of a brown four eyed opossum are called 'joey'. The females are called 'jill' and males 'jack'.

It is known that females can give birth twice a year and can have up to nine young at the same time. There have been no studies regarding to how or when brown four eyes opossums mate. The mother is the one in charge of taking care of the young for a period of around six months after birthing.

These guys are usually haunted by humans because they eat their crops. What many people don't know is that they could actually help humans by reducing plagues like cucarachas, termites and ants. This and the destruction of their habitat have made them become another species in the endangered list.

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