Didelphis aurita (Wied-Neuwied 1826)

Didelphis aurita (Wied-Neuwied 1826), Beitr. Naturgesch. Brasil., 2: 395.

Type Locality: Brazil, Bahia, "Villa Viçosa am Flusse Paruhype." .

Vernacular Names: Big-eared Opossum.

Synonyms: Didelphis azarae Temminck 1824; Didelphis brasiliensis (Liais 1872); Didelphis koseritzi Ihering 1892; Didelphis longipilis Miranda-Ribeiro 1935; Didelphis melanoidis Miranda-Ribeiro 1935; Didelphis typica (Thomas 1888) .

Distribution: E Brazil, SE Paraguay, and NE Argentina.

Conservation: IUCN – Lower Risk (lc).

Discussion: Previously considered a disjunct population of D. marsupialis (see Cerqueira, 1985). The senior synonym is D. azarae Temminck, 1824 (see Hershkovitz, 1969); however, the name had been misapplied to D. albiventris for over 160 years. The name leucoprymnus Matschie, 1916, is a nomen nudum; longigilis Ávila-Pires, 1968, is an incorrect subsequent spelling of longipilis Miranda-Ribeiro.