INTRODUCTION:

The Mexican Mouse Opossum (Marmosa mexicana) and the grayish mouse opossum (Tlacuatzin canescens) were the only two known species of tribu Marmosini (Mammalia, Didelphimorphi, Didelphidae) in México. The genus Tlacuatzin and its species Tlacuatzin canescens are endemic. Its distribution extends from the south of the State of Sonora to the State of Chiapas. It is also found on the Islas Marias, in the state of Jalisco, in the Yucatán Peninsula, and in the State of Puebla. So far, T. canescens has not been previously sighted in the State of Veracruz or in the north coast of the Gulf of Mexico. This report describes the first official sighting of T. canescens from Veracruz, México.

METHODS:

The records were obtained: a) from voucher specimens deposited at the Colección Mastozoológica, Instituto de Investigaciones Biológicas, Universidad Veracruzana, and b) by accidentally trapping these mammals in botanical surveys conducted at the El Centro de Investigaciones Costeras La Mancha, Instituto de Ecología A.C. and its surroundings.

RESULTS:

The presence of T. canescens in Veracruz State was documented by nine records collected at three different localities, from the central region of Veracruz, México. All the locations were found in deciduous forest areas.

DISCUSSION AND CONCLUSIONS:

These new records increase the species' known geographic distribution in 139 km, on a straight line from the nearest locality found in the state of Puebla. It is important to recall that these locations are all located on both sides of the Sierra Madre Oriental Mountain system (average altitude higher than 2000 meters above sea level, between localities), which serves as a barrier between the populations of Puebla and Veracruz.