MONITO DE MONTE (Dromiciops gliroides) The Monito de Monte is an endemic species of the Andean Patagonian forest of Argentina and Chile that inhabits dense areas of the forest. It is a very small marsupial mammal with a body about 10 to 12 cm plus the same tail. It bears that name for having the fifth finger opposable to others as in monkeys and the prehensile tail adapted to curl in the branches. Its interaction with the quintral is key, because it is the only known disperser of its seeds, so it plays a vital role in the conservation of these ecosystems. Its main threat is the destruction, degradation and fragmentation of its habitat. Photo: Mariano A. Rodriguez Cabal
