Dark Four-eyed Opossum

The dark four-eyed opossum (Philander melanurus) is a species of opossum from Central and South America. == Taxonomy == This species was originally described as a subspecies of Philander opossum, and was considered a subspecies until the late 2010s. Some sources, such as GBIF and the IUCN do not recognize this species's validity yet, while others, such as the American Society of Mammalogists, do recognize it as valid. The subspecies Philander opossum fuscogriseus was sometimes recognized as a valid subspecies, but is now considered a junior synonym of P. melanurus. If fuscogriseus would be revalidized, it would include populations in Central America, while the nominate subspecies would be the South American populations. When considered valid the two forms could be differentiated by fuscogriseus having a lighter-tipped tail and lighter fur color on average, while melanurus has a unicolored tail and darker upperparts. == Etymology == The common name "four-eyed opossum" comes from the spots above the eyes of this species looking like another set of eyes. The specific name "melanurus" is derived from the Greek "melas" meaning "black" and "oura" meaning "the tail". == Description == This species ranges from 483 to 582 mm (19.0 to 22.9 in), averaging 527…