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... In Argentina, Dromiciops is distributed along the Andes, from Neuquén to Chubut provinces ( Figure 2). A small fraction of these habitats (7%, according to Martin, 2010) corresponds to the central valley of Chile (shrubland-type or Maulino forest habitats); while the temperate rainforest represents the remaining 93% of its distribution (Lobos et al., 2005;Martin, 2010;Saavedra & Simonetti, 2001;Uribe et al., 2017). In addition to being drier than the typical wet rainforest, the habitats occupied in the Chilean central valley receive more sunlight and have more fruits available during the summer (Fontúrbel et al., 2017a). ...
The arboreal marsupial monito del monte (genus Dromiciops, with two recognized species) is a paradigmatic mammal. It is the sole living representative of the order Microbiotheria, the ancestor lineage of Australian marsupials. Also, this marsupial is the unique frugivorous mammal in the temperate rainforest, being the main seed disperser of several endemic plants of this ecosystem, thus acting as keystone species. Dromiciops is also one of the few hibernating mammals in South America, spending half of the year in a physiological dormancy where metabolism is reduced to 10% of normal levels. This capacity to reduce energy expenditure in winter contrasts with the enormous energy turnover rate they experience in spring and summer. The unique life history strategies of this living Microbiotheria, characterized by an alternation of life in the slow and fast lanes, putatively represent ancestral traits that permitted these cold‐adapted mammals to survive in this environment. Here, we describe the ecological role of this emblematic marsupial, summarizing the ecophysiology of hibernation and sociality, updated phylogeographic relationships, reproductive cycle, trophic relationships, mutualisms, conservation, and threats. This marsupial shows high densities, despite presenting slow reproductive rates, a paradox explained by the unique characteristics of its three‐dimensional habitat. We finally suggest immediate actions to protect these species that may be threatened in the near future due to habitat destruction and climate change. We present a review summarizing the recent advances on the biology of the enigmatic monito del monte, a relict Gondwanan mammal from southern South America.
... Este podría ser el caso de los "monitos" (género Dromiciops), marsupiales de pequeño tamaño (20-30 g, 110 mm de largo hocico-base de la cola) que en Chile se ditribuyen entre la región del Maule (35°50' S, 72°30' O) y la provincia de Palena en la región de los Lagos (44°00'S, 71°00'O) (Mejías et al. 2021;Oda et al. 2019). Los monitos están fuertemente asociados a bosques templado-lluviosos (Hershkovitz 1999) de Nothofagus con denso sotobosque de bambu (Chusquea spp.) y rodales de bosques coetáneos ricos en epífitas (Rodriguez-Cabal & Branch 2011) encontrandose también en bosques Caducifolios maulinos (Lobos et al. 2005a) e incluso en plantaciones forestales (Fontúrbel et al. 2012Kelt 2000;Salazar & Fontúrbel 2016;Uribe et al. 2017). Sin embargo, el conocimiento de su ecología en otros tipos de asociaciones vegetacionales del centro-sur de Chile es escaso, particularmente en zonas costero-mediterráneas con presencia de bosques esclerófilos, donde Nothofagus pierde representatividad. ...
The modification of land use has caused the loss, fragmentation and degradation of the scarce remnant of native forest present in south-central Chile, habitat of marsupials of the genus Dromiciops (Microbiotheria). In this study, we explored the presence of Dromiciops through camera traps in a relict area of coastal mediterranean sclerophyllous forest. The presence of Dromiciops was recorded in four of the nine sites evaluated. This finding corresponds to the first formal record of Dromiciops in this area.
... Este podría ser el caso de los "monitos" (género Dromiciops), marsupiales de pequeño tamaño (20-30 g, 110 mm de largo hocico-base de la cola) que en Chile se ditribuyen entre la región del Maule (35°50' S, 72°30' O) y la provincia de Palena en la región de los Lagos (44°00'S, 71°00'O) (Mejías et al. 2021;Oda et al. 2019). Los monitos están fuertemente asociados a bosques templado-lluviosos (Hershkovitz 1999) de Nothofagus con denso sotobosque de bambu (Chusquea spp.) y rodales de bosques coetáneos ricos en epífitas (Rodriguez-Cabal & Branch 2011) encontrandose también en bosques Caducifolios maulinos (Lobos et al. 2005a) e incluso en plantaciones forestales (Fontúrbel et al. 2012Kelt 2000;Salazar & Fontúrbel 2016;Uribe et al. 2017). Sin embargo, el conocimiento de su ecología en otros tipos de asociaciones vegetacionales del centro-sur de Chile es escaso, particularmente en zonas costero-mediterráneas con presencia de bosques esclerófilos, donde Nothofagus pierde representatividad. ...
The modification of land use has caused the loss, fragmentation and degradation of the scarce remnant of native forest present in south-central Chile, habitat of marsupials of the genus Dromiciops (Microbiotheria). In this study, we explored the presence of Dromiciops through camera traps in a relict area of coastal mediterranean sclerophyllous forest. The presence of Dromiciops was recorded in four of the nine sites evaluated. This finding corresponds to the first formal record of Dromiciops in this area.
... In Argentina, Dromiciops is distributed along the Andes, from Neuquén to Chubut provinces ( Figure 2). A small fraction of these habitats (7%, according to Martin, 2010) corresponds to the central valley of Chile (shrubland-type or Maulino forest habitats); while the temperate rainforest represents the remaining 93% of its distribution (Lobos et al., 2005;Martin, 2010;Saavedra & Simonetti, 2001;Uribe et al., 2017). In addition to being drier than the typical wet rainforest, the habitats occupied in the Chilean central valley receive more sunlight and have more fruits available during the summer (Fontúrbel et al., 2017a). ...
The arboreal marsupial Monito del Monte (genus Dromiciops, with two recognized species) is a paradigmatic mammal. It is the sole living representative of the order Microbiotheria, the ancestor lineage of Australian marsupials. Also, this marsupial is the unique frugivorous mammal in the temperate rainforest, being the main seed disperser of several endemic plants of this ecosystem, thus acting as keystone species. Dromiciops is also one of the few hibernating mammals in South America, spending half of the year in a physiological dormancy where metabolism is reduced to 10% of normal levels. This capacity to reduce energy expenditure in winter contrasts with the enormous energy turnover rate they experience in spring and summer. The unique life-history strategies of this living Microbiotheria, characterized by an alternation of life in the slow and fast lanes, putatively represent ancestral traits that permitted these cold-adapted mammals to survive in this environment. Here we describe the ecological role of this emblematic marsupial, summarizing the ecophysiology of hibernation and sociality, actualized phylogeographic relationships, reproductive cycle, trophic relationships, mutualisms, conservation and threats. This marsupial shows high densities, despite presenting slow reproductive rates, a paradox that is explained by the unique characteristics of its three-dimensional habitat. We finally suggest immediate actions to protect these locally abundant but globally threatened species.
... In contrast, the information available for D. gliroides living in deciduous forests is very scant and anecdotal (e.g. [16,17]). In this note we report on observations of some of the northernmost populations of D. gliroides, living in landscapes dominated by pine plantations. ...
... These observations were conducted in pine stands with dense (>20%) understory. Our observations also expanded the known distribution of the species 35 Km to the North (previous limit was Los Ruiles National Reserve 35°50'S 72°30'W [17]). The latter agrees with the predictions by Martin [20] whose models give a 1-10% probability of presence of monito del monte between 34-36°S in the Coastal Range of Central Chile. ...
Background
Monitos del monte (Dromiciops gliroides) are old-growth forest specialists and, thus, believed to be very sensitive to habitat transformation, although some recent studies show some level of plasticity of their habitat selection patterns. FindingsIn this note we report on records of D. gliroides living in a very modified environment, composed mostly by industrial pine plantations and small fragments of Nothofagus spp. forests and we report the extension of the northernmost limit of its currently known distribution. Conclusions
Although highly reliant on native vegetation, Dromiciops gliroides has been able to persist in industrial forest landscapes dominated by pine plantations.
... Currently there is very little information on the morphology of microbiotherian pouch young (Muñoz-Pedreros et al. 2005;Frankham & Temple-Smith, 2012;Gurovich et al. 2013), this study will also bring together current knowledge and add new information on the only living member of the Microbiotheria (but see D'El ıa et al. 2016 and below), a small arboreal marsupial that lives in the Andean valdivian forests of southern Chile and Argentina (Lobos et al. 2005;Amico & Rodr ıguez-Cabal, 2009;Celis-Diez et al. 2012;Gurovich et al. 2015). It has only recently been proposed that two new different species of monito del monte exist, with one of the new species being endemic to Chile, and the other new species occurring in Argentina and Chile (D'El ıa et al. 2016). ...
Newborn marsupials can be arranged into three grades of developmental complexity based on their external
form, as well as based on their organ systems and their cytology. The dasyurids are considered the least
developed marsupials at birth, while didelphids and peramelids are intermediate, and macropods are the most
developed. Currently there is still little information on caenolestid and microbiotherid development at birth.
Developmental stages can be graded as G1, G2 and G3, with G1 being the least developed at birth, and G3 the
most developed. Marsupials are also characterized by having an extremely developed craniofacial region at
birth compared with placentals. However, the facial region is also observed to vary in development between
different marsupial groups at birth. The oral shield is a morphological structure observed in the oral region of
the head during late embryological development, which will diminish shortly after birth. Morphological
variation of the oral shield is observed and can be arranged by developmental complexity from greatly
developed, reduced to vestigial. In its most developed state, the lips are fused, forming together with the
rhinarium, a flattened ring around the buccal opening. In this study, we examine the external oral shield
morphology in different species of newborn marsupials (dasyurids, peramelids, macropods and didelphids),
including the newborn monito del monte young (Dromiciops gliroides – the sole survivor of the order
Microbiotheria). The adaptive value of the oral shield structure is reviewed, and we discuss if this structure may
be influenced by developmental stage of newborn, pouch cover, species relatedness, or other reproductive
features. We observe that the oral shield structure is present in most species of Marsupialia and appears to be
exclusively present in this infraclass. It has never been described in Monotremata or Eutherians. It is present in
unrelated taxa (e.g. didelphids, dasyurids and microbiotherids). We observe that a well-developed oral shield
may be related to ultra altricial development at birth, large litter size (more than two), and is present in most
species that lack a pouch in reproductive adult females or have a less prominent or less developed pouch with
some exceptions. We try to explore the evolution of the oral shield structure using existing databases and our
own observations to reconstruct likely ancestral character states that can then be used to estimate the
evolutionary origin of this structure and if it was present in early mammals. We find that a simple to develop
oral shield structure (type 2–3) may have been present in marsupial ancestors as well as in early therians, even
though this structure is not present in the extant monotremes. This in turn may suggest that early marsupials
may have had a very simple pouch or lacked a pouch as seen in some living marsupials, such as some dasyurids,didelphids and caenolestids. The study’s results also suggest that different morphological stages of the oral shield and hindlimb development may be influenced by species size and reproductive strategy, and possibly by yet unknown species-specific adaptations.
... This area lies between the known distribution of D. bozinovici and D. gliroides. Finally, the last unstudied area is the northernmost part of the genus distribution, north of the know distribution of D. bozinovici in northern Bío-Bío and Maule regions, where populations occur in deciduous Maulean forests and not Valdivian forest (e.g., Saavedra and Simonetti 2001;Lobos et al. 2005). ...
A previous study showed that Dromiciops gliroides has deep phylogeographic structure, with 3 allopatric and highly differentiated groups. Here, we constructed on that study by assessing the morphologic variation of D. gliroides . Our results show that along its distribution Dromiciops is morphologically highly variable and that the geographic pattern of morphologic variation matches the phylogeographic pattern. Taken together, morphological and molecular data indicate the existence of 2 unrecognized and unnamed species of monito del monte, which are here named and described. Cranial and dental features can easily distinguish species of Dromiciops . One of the new species is endemic of Chile, and the other new species occurs in Argentina and Chile. D. gliroides s.s. is restricted to the southern part of the genus distribution including Chiloé Island. We comment on the conservation significance of our findings and on the need of continuing with field- and collection-based research in order to characterize the richness of the Chilean mammal assemblage.
Un estudio previo mostró que Dromiciops gliroides tiene una marcada estructura filogeográfica con 3 grupos alopátridos bien diferenciados. Dado esos resultados, en el presente estudio analizamos la variación morfológica de D. gliroides . Nuestros resultados indican que D. gliroides es, a través de su distribución, altamente variable y que el patrón geográfico de la variación morfológica es congruente con el patrón filogeografico. Considerada en conjunto, la evidencia morfológica y molecular indica la existencia de dos especies de monito del monte que no han sido reconocidas, las que son aca descritas y nominadas. Las tres especies de Dromiciops se pueden distinguir fácilmente por características craneales y dentales. Una de las nuevas especies es endémica de Chile y la otra se distribuye en Argentina y Chile. D. gliroides s.s. se restringe a la porción sur del área distribucional del género, incluyendo la Isla de Chiloé. Cerramos el trabajo comentado sobre la necesidad de continuar realizando colectas y trabajo basado en colecciones con el fin de caracterizar la diversidad del ensamble de mamíferos de Chile.
... Monito del monte (Dromiciops gliroides) is a small nocturnal arboreal marsupial found in temperate forests in Chile (between 35°50″S and 43°21″S) and southern Argentina (between 39°07′S and 42°00′S) (Lobos et al. 2005;Amico et al. 2009;Celis-Diez et al. 2012). D. gliroides is the only living member of the order Microbiotheria (e.g. ...
Background: Dromiciops gliroides is a small nocturnal marsupial found in the temperate forests of Southern Chile and Argentina. It is the only living member of the order Microbiotheria. Here, we describe the discovery and first account of live trapping of D. gliroides in Parque Nacional Los Alerces (Los Alerces National Park) in the province of Chubut, Argentina. This account extends the distribution of this cryptic species south to Parque Nacional Los Alerces (PNLA). The study provides a description of the habitat they were captured in after a recent bamboo flowering and seeding event and subsequent rodent irruption, the first in 70 years in PNLA.
Results: Four adult D. gliroides were captured during the study period, and both adult females captured had pouch young present, suggesting birth occurred in late October or early November. Habitat surveys revealed D. gliroides inhabited Nothofagus forest. A lack of fruiting plants in PNLA during the trapping period (spring) suggests their diet is likely restricted to insects at this time. No dreys were detected during habitat surveys, and hence, it is likely D. gliroides utilises tree hollows as refuges and nesting sites in PNLA. Significant threats to the population in PNLA were identified including introduced predators and human-related impacts due to farming and tourism.
Conclusions: There is a breeding population of D. gliroides present in Parque Nacional Los Alerces. The newly discovered population now represents the most southern location for D. gliroides in Argentina.
... Monito del monte (Dromiciops gliroides) is a small nocturnal arboreal marsupial found in temperate forests in Chile (between 35°50″S and 43°21″S) and southern Argentina (between 39°07′S and 42°00′S) (Lobos et al. 2005;Amico et al. 2009;Celis-Diez et al. 2012). D. gliroides is the only living member of the order Microbiotheria (e.g. ...
Background: Dromiciops gliroides is a small nocturnal marsupial found in the temperate forests of Southern Chile and Argentina. It is the only living member of the order Microbiotheria. Here, we describe the discovery and first account of live trapping of D. gliroides in Parque Nacional Los Alerces (Los Alerces National Park) in the province of Chubut, Argentina. This account extends the distribution of this cryptic species south to Parque Nacional Los Alerces (PNLA). The study provides a description of the habitat they were captured in after a recent bamboo flowering and seeding event and subsequent rodent irruption, the first in 70 years in PNLA.
Results: Four adult D. gliroides were captured during the study period, and both adult females captured had pouch young present, suggesting birth occurred in late October or early November. Habitat surveys revealed D. gliroides inhabited Nothofagus forest. A lack of fruiting plants in PNLA during the trapping period (spring) suggests their diet is likely restricted to insects at this time. No dreys were detected during habitat surveys, and hence, it is likely D. gliroides utilises tree hollows as refuges and nesting sites in PNLA. Significant threats to the population in PNLA were identified including introduced predators and human-related impacts due to farming and tourism.
Conclusions: There is a breeding population of D. gliroides present in Parque Nacional Los Alerces. The newly discovered population now represents the most southern location for D. gliroides in Argentina.
... Monito del monte (Dromiciops gliroides) is a small nocturnal arboreal marsupial found in temperate forests in Chile (between 35°50″S and 43°21″S) and southern Argentina (between 39°07′S and 42°00′S) (Lobos et al. 2005;Amico et al. 2009;Celis-Diez et al. 2012). D. gliroides is the only living member of the order Microbiotheria (e.g. ...
Dromiciops gliroides is a small nocturnal marsupial found in the temperate forests of Southern Chile and Argentina. It is the only living member of the order Microbiotheria. Here we describe the first account of live trapping of D. gliroides in Parque Nacional Los Alerces (Los Alerces National Park) in the Province of Chubut, Argentina. This account extends the distribution of this cryptic species south to Parque Nacional Los Alerces (PNLA). The study provides a description of the habitat they were captured in after a recent bamboo flowering and seeding event and subsequent rodent irruption, the first in 70 years in PNLA. Four adult D. gliroides were captured during the study period, and both adult females captured had pouch young present, suggesting birth occurred in late October or early November. Habitat surveys revealed a lack of fruiting plants in PNLA, suggesting their diet is largely restricted to insects during early Spring. No dreys were detected, and hence it is likely D. gliroides utilises tree hollows as refuges and nesting sites in this park. Significant threats to the population in PNLA were identified including introduced predators, and human-related impacts due to farming and tourism.
