Peru Park Reveals New High-Andean Marsupial Species Marmosa Chachapoya

Peruvian conservation officials have confirmed the discovery of a previously unknown marsupial, Marmosa chachapoya, in the cloud forests of Parque Nacional Río Abiseo in the north-eastern region of San Martín. The species was located at 2,664 metres above sea level, making it one of the highest-dwelling members of the genus. Detailed morphological and genetic analyses, published on 16 July in the journal American Museum Novitates, distinguish the animal by its reddish-brown coat, grey-based underbelly, elongated snout and a prehensile tail longer than its body. The finding, led by biologists Silvia Pavan, Edson Abreu and Robert Voss, extends the known range of the Stegomarmosa subgenus into the high Andes and underscores the biodiversity value of Río Abiseo, a 274,520-hectare UNESCO World Heritage site. Peru’s environmental agency Sernanp said the discovery highlights the role of protected areas in generating scientific knowledge and will inform conservation strategies for montane ecosystems increasingly pressured by climate change.