A hardy, night-active marsupial that lives along the slopes and high valleys of the Andes in South America, and its most noticeable feature is right in the name: pale, whitish ears that stand out like little flags in the dark. It has the classic opossum shape—pointed snout, bright eyes, sturdy body, and a long tail that’s mostly bare and scaly—built for climbing, scrambling, and squeezing through cluttered terrain. Its coat is usually gray to gray-brown with a lighter underside, a practical color scheme for rocky ground, forest edges, and shadowy mountain vegetation.

While some relatives are strongly tied to lowland forests, this one is associated with higher elevations and cooler conditions, including cloud forests, mountain woodlands, and the patchwork of habitats found along Andean slopes. Living in these environments means dealing with big temperature swings between day and night, sudden rain, and rugged ground—so being adaptable matters. Compared with lowland opossums that may rely heavily on fruit-rich forests, an Andean opossum often has to be flexible, taking advantage of whatever food is available across seasons and locations. Its range and habits make it feel like a “highland specialist” within a group of animals that many people assume are strictly lowland forest creatures.

The Andean white-eared opossum is an opportunistic eater: fruit when it finds it, insects and other small prey when they’re available, and a variety of leftovers or easy meals when the chance appears. That flexible menu is exactly what helps it succeed in places where food can change with altitude, weather, and season. It often forages along edges—paths, clearings, forest borders, rocky slopes—places where different foods meet and where it can retreat into cover if threatened. Like many opossums, it relies heavily on smell and hearing, making its pale ears look even more fitting: they’re part of an animal designed to detect tiny sounds in the dark.

Distribution

Country

Population est.

Status

Year

Comments

Bolivia

2015

Colombia

2015

Ecuador

2015

Peru

2015

Venezuela

2015