Incan caenolestid
| Incan caenolestid | |
|---|---|
| Scientific classification | |
| Kingdom: | Animalia |
| Phylum: | Chordata |
| Class: | Mammalia |
| Infraclass: | Marsupialia |
| Order: | Paucituberculata |
| Family: | Caenolestidae |
| Genus: |
Lestoros Oehser, 1934 |
| Species: | L. inca |
| Binomial name | |
|
Lestoros inca (Thomas, 1917) |
|
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|
| Range of the Incan shrew opossum | |
| Synonyms | |
|
Caenolestes gracilis (Bublitz, 1987) |
|
Caenolestes gracilis (Bublitz, 1987)
Cryptolestes inca Tate, 1934
Orolestes inca Thomas, 1917
The Incan caenolestid (Lestoros inca), also known as the Incan shrew opossum or Peruvian caenolestid, is a caenolestid found in the southern Peruvian Andes. It was first described by English zoologist Oldfield Thomas in 1917. The head-and-body length ranges from 9 to 11.5 centimetres (3.5 to 4.5 in), and the weight is between 25 and 32 grams (0.88 and 1.13 oz). It is brown on the back, and lighter on the underside. Little is known about the behaviour of the Incan caenolestid; it appears to be terrestrial and nocturnal. It feeds on small invertebrates and insects. This caenolestid inhabits elfin and secondary forests. The IUCN classifies it as least concern.
The Incan caenolestid is the sole member of its genus, Lestoros, and is placed in the family Caenolestidae (shrew opossums). It was first described by English zoologist Oldfield Thomas as Orolestes inca in 1917. In 1934, the shrew opossum was given its present binomial name. Caenolestid fossils date to as early as the early Eocene (nearly 55 mya).
In the latter part of 20th century, scientists believed that Lestoros is closely related to Caenolestes (common shrew opossums). Over the years, it became clear that Lestoros is morphologically different from Caenolestes. A 2013 phylogenetic study showed that the Incan caenolestid and the long-nosed caenolestid (Rhyncholestes raphanurus) form a clade sister to Caenolestes. The cladogram below is based on this study.
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