Definitions for caenolestidae
caenolesti·dae

Princeton's WordNetRate this definition:0.0 / 0 votes

1. Caenolestidae, family Caenolestidaenoun

   small marsupials of southern South America

WikipediaRate this definition:0.0 / 0 votes

1. caenolestidae

   The family Caenolestidae contains the seven surviving species of shrew opossum: small, shrew-like marsupials that are confined to the Andes mountains of South America. The order is thought to have diverged from the ancestral marsupial line very early. They were once included in the superorder but it is now known that Ameridelphia is paraphyletic, having given rise to Australidelphia, and thus could be considered an evolutionary grade. Genetic studies indicate that they are the second most basal order of marsupials, after the didelphimorphs. As recently as 20 million years ago, at least seven genera were in South America. Today, just three genera remain. They live in inaccessible forest and grassland regions of the High Andes. Shrews were entirely absent from South America until the Great American Interchange three million years ago, and are currently present only in the northwestern part of the continent. Traditionally, it was thought that shrew opossums lost ground to these and other placental invaders that fill the same ecological niches. Evidence suggests, however, that both groups not only overlap, but do not seem to be in direct competition, and the marsupials' larger size seems to imply that they prey on shrews and rodents. Several opossums, such as Monodelphis, also occupy small insectivore niches. Shrew opossums (also known as rat opossums or caenolestids) are about the size of a small rat (9–14 cm long), with thin limbs, a long, pointed snout and a slender, hairy tail. They are largely carnivorous, being active hunters of insects, earthworms, and small vertebrates. They have small eyes and poor sight, and hunt in the early evening and at night, using their hearing and long, sensitive whiskers to locate prey. They seem to spend much of their lives in burrows and on surface runways. Like several other marsupials, they do not have a pouch, and it appears that females do not carry the young constantly, possibly leaving them in the burrow.Largely because of their rugged, inaccessible habitat, they are very poorly known and have traditionally been considered rare. Several ecological factors, including density of forest, contribute to the part of the forests the shrew opossums occupy. Recent studies suggest they may be more common than had been thought. Their karyotype has also been described through contemporary research in order to better understand this organism.

ChatGPTRate this definition:0.0 / 0 votes

1. caenolestidae

   Caenolestidae, also known as New World rat-kangaroos or shrew opossums, is a family of marsupials found in South America. They are small, nocturnal creatures that primarily feed on insects, earthworms, and small vertebrates. Despite their common names, they are not closely related to either kangaroos or shrews. This family is noted for having many primitive characteristics and include the only living members of the order Paucituberculata. The males do not have a scrotum and the females have a simplified pouch. Their general appearance includes a long snout, small rounded ears, dense fur, and a thin, hairy tail.

Matched Categories

1. • Mammal Family

How to pronounce caenolestidae?

1. Alex

   US English

   David

   US English

   Mark

   US English

   Daniel

   British

   Libby

   British

   Mia

   British

   Karen

   Australian

   Hayley

   Australian

   Natasha

   Australian

   Veena

   Indian

   Priya

   Indian

   Neerja

   Indian

   Zira

   US English

   Oliver

   British

   Wendy

   British

   Fred

   US English

   Tessa

   South African

How to say caenolestidae in sign language?

Numerology

1. Chaldean Numerology

   The numerical value of caenolestidae in Chaldean Numerology is: 2

2. Pythagorean Numerology

   The numerical value of caenolestidae in Pythagorean Numerology is: 5

References

1. ^ Princeton's WordNet
   http://wordnetweb.princeton.edu/perl/webwn?s=caenolestidae
2. ^ Wikipedia
   https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Caenolestidae
3. ^ ChatGPT
   https://chat.openai.com