NATURAL HISTORY · CATALOGUE RECORD
Gray Mouse Opossum
Tlacuatzin canescens (J. A. Allen, 1893)
Source-backed taxonomic record
Accepted species in Catalogue of Life’s 11 September 2026 base release. This preserves the source classification and available supporting data; it is not a completed species monograph.
Open encyclopedia reference
The grayish or gray mouse opossum (Tlacuatzin canescens) is a diminutive species of opossum in the family Didelphidae, endemic to Mexico. It is the sole species of its genus, Tlacuatzin, although some sources disagree with this.
Wikipedia contributors, Grayish mouse opossum; see linked history · CC BY-SA 4.0 . Plain-text lead excerpt, at most 180 words; no infobox or later sections Retrieved 2026-10-05T08:12:03.957128+00:00. This reference remains separate from the taxonomic record.
Identity & source status
- Scientific name
- Tlacuatzin canescens (J. A. Allen, 1893)
- Name authority
- (J. A. Allen, 1893)
- Common name
- Gray Mouse Opossum
- Rank
- species
- Accepted status
- accepted
- Kingdom
- Animalia
- Phylum
- Chordata
- Class
- Mammalia
- Order
- Didelphimorphia
- Family
- Didelphidae
- Genus
- Tlacuatzin
- Extinction status
- Recorded extant
Classification family tree
Nested taxonomic groups from the source. This is not a direct-ancestor chain, a dated evolutionary tree or a phylogenetic reconstruction.
- domainEukaryota (Chatton, 1925) Whittaker & Margulis, 1978
- kingdomAnimalia
- phylumChordata
- subphylumVertebrata
- infraphylumGnathostomata
- parvphylumOsteichthyes
- megaclassTetrapoda
- classMammalia Linnaeus, 1758
- subclassTheria Parker & Haswell, 1897
- infraclassMetatheria Huxley, 1880
- orderDidelphimorphia Gill, 1872
- familyDidelphidae Gray, 1821
- subfamilyDidelphinae Gray, 1821
- tribeMarmosini Hershkovitz, 1992
- genusTlacuatzin Voss & Jansa, 2003
- speciesTlacuatzin canescens (J. A. Allen, 1893)
Close classified relatives
These entries share the source’s genus, Tlacuatzin. They are not necessarily the closest relatives established by molecular evidence.
| Species | Classification | Source status |
|---|---|---|
| Yucatan Gray Mouse OpossumTlacuatzin gaumeri (Osgood, 1913) | DidelphidaeChordata | Accepted speciesRecorded extant |
| Tres Marias Gray Mouse OpossumTlacuatzin insularis (Merriam, 1897) | DidelphidaeChordata | Accepted speciesRecorded extant |
| Balsas Gray Mouse OpossumTlacuatzin balsaensis Arcangeli, Light & Cervantes, 2018 | DidelphidaeChordata | Accepted speciesRecorded extant |
Names & synonyms
Names explicitly linked to this accepted taxon in the source. Synonymy can change with revision.
| Recorded name | Source status |
|---|---|
| Marmosa canescens (J. A. Allen, 1893) (J. A. Allen, 1893) | synonym |
| Tlacuatzin canescens canescens (J. A. Allen, 1893) (J. A. Allen, 1893) | synonym |
| Didelphis canescens J. A. Allen, 1893 J. A. Allen, 1893 | synonym |
| Tlacuatzin canescens oaxacae (Merriam, 1897) (Merriam, 1897) | synonym |
Documented distribution
Source distribution statements, not a complete range map. A listed locality is not necessarily a place of origin.
Source literature & publication evidence
References attached to this source record, including nomenclatural citations where supplied. This is a selected bibliography; abbreviated citations remain in the source’s form.
- https://www.itis.gov/servlet/SingleRpt/SingleRpt?search_topic=TSN&search_value=709385 Source fields: Taxon.tsv dwc:namePublishedIn, Taxon.tsv dcterms:references
Origins, evidence & remaining research
Name authority and publication references document nomenclature where the source supplies it. They do not establish evolutionary origins or the earliest fossil occurrence.
Specimen-level evidence, morphology, ecological research, phylogenetic studies, a comprehensive bibliography and a located literary passage have not yet been compiled for this record. A suitable sourced image remains to be added.
Dataset citation & attribution
This exact taxon in ChecklistBank · Catalogue of Life 2026-09-11
Catalogue of Life 2026-09-11; dataset 316321; doi:10.48580/dgz5n. https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/ . Retrieved 5 October 2026.
Stable key: col:579LL. Classification follows source parent identifiers. English common names may vary by region.