. An introduction to the study of mammals living and extinct. Mammals. DIDELPHYID^ 133 /3. Teeth rooted. Three upper incisors and a canine. Hind limbs not disproportionately large. Feet syndactylous, broad, with four subequal outer toes, and a large opposable hallux. PhcdangeridcE. y. Teeth rooted. Three upper incisors, and frequently a canine. Hind limbs disproportionately large, with syndactylous feet as in Peramelidce. Macropodidce. Suborder POLYPROTODONTIA. The leading characters of this group are given in the foregoing schedule. This group is the only one represented at the present day, a
. An introduction to the study of mammals living and extinct. Mammals. DIDELPHYID^ 133 /3. Teeth rooted. Three upper incisors and a canine. Hind limbs not disproportionately large. Feet syndactylous, broad, with four subequal outer toes, and a large opposable hallux. PhcdangeridcE. y. Teeth rooted. Three upper incisors, and frequently a canine. Hind limbs disproportionately large, with syndactylous feet as in Peramelidce. Macropodidce. Suborder POLYPROTODONTIA. The leading characters of this group are given in the foregoing schedule. This group is the only one represented at the present day, and so far as we know also in past epochs, beyond the confines of the Australasian region and adjacent islands. Family Didelphyid^. Dentition: i \, c \, p %, m ^; total 50. Incisors very small and pointed. Canines large. Premolars with compressed pointed crowns. Molars with numerous sharp cusps. The last premolar preceded by a deciduous multicuspidate milk-molar, which remains in place until the animal is nearly adult (Fig. 34). Limbs of moderate development, each with five complete and distinct toes, all of which are provided with short, compressed, curved, sharp claws of nearly equal size, except the first toe of the hind foot or hallux (Fig. 37), which is large, widely separable from the others, to which it is opposed in climbing, and terminates in a dilated rounded ex- tremity, without a nail. Tail gener- ally long, partially naked and prehen- sile. Stomach simple. Cajcum of small or moderate size. Pouch gener- ally absent, sometimes represented by two lateral folds of the abdominal integument, partially covering the teats, rarely complete. Vertebrae: 0 7, D 13, L 6, S 2, C 19-35. The Didelphyidm, or true Opos- sums, differ from all other existing Marsupials in their habitat, being peculiar to the American continent. They are mostly carnivorous or insectivorous in their diet, and arboreal in habits. Opossums occur throughout the greater part of the American. Fig. 37.—Skele
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Keywords: ., bookauthorly, bookcentury1800, bookdecade1890, booksubjectmammals
