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Physical Description
The species G. microtarsus has red-brown fur on the dorsal side of the body and gray fur on the ventral side. In comparison with G. microtarsus, G. agilis has paler fur color. Over the years, a new species, G. ignitus has been added to the genus. G. ignitus has a white patch on its chest. It, as well, has a light two-tone colored tail that has only a few hairs. The skull and fur color can be used to determine if a member of the genus is part the G. ignitus species. G. microtarsus,G. emiliae, and G. dryas can be distinguished from G. ignitus by its tail that is only one color. One difference between G. agilis and G. ignitus is that G. agilis has a hairier tail. G. aceramarcae has naked skin compared to G. ignitus. G. emiliae is smaller than G. ignitus. G. emiliae, in general, has a very long tail. A difference between G. emiliae and the rest of the species in the genus is that it has white fur on the underside of the body and the rest of the species have a gray or brown color. These opossums have a prehensile tail that is thin and really long. They have ears and tails that are both large and naked. For each of these species, a dark ring is found around each eye. General characteristics that these opossum have are mammary glands and a pointed nose.

Habitat
Gracilinanus species can be found in a number of different places. The different regions that Gracilinanus can be found are Peru, , Bolivia , , , Brazil , , , , Paraguay , Venezuela , ,. Some species are found in forests, , , , , , trees , , , , , fallen trunks , tree holes , humid enironments , and coffee plantations. G. emiliae is distributed along the Amazonia and Venezuelan rainforests. G. emiliae is one of the two species in the genus that is found in Amazonian rainforests. G. agilis and G. microtarsus are the only two species that have been found in the central, south, and southeastern parts of Brazil. The other species have been found in Amazon and not in Brazil. The cultivation of sugar cane and fruits, along with deforestation, is thought to be a reason why the newer species, G. ignitus, has been harder to find.

Endangerment
Out of the species that currently exist, only two of them have made it on to the endangerment list. Gracilinanus agilis is not considered to be threatened, in general, but in the specific area of Paraguay, the species is close to being threatened. The only other species that is near threatened is G. dryas. A major threat to these species is that their main habitat is being destroyed from deforestation. ,, , However, it has also been reported that these species are on the critically endangered list because they are only known in two general areas where there habitat has been found to be taking a decline. The species of the genus Gracilinanus once occupied regions in South America and Europe, but are now extinct there.

Diet
The specific species G. microtarsus has a diet that includes insects, spiders, fruits, termites, beetles and ants. As well, this species has been known to live off of wasps and small invertebrates. However, the main component of G. microtarsus’ diet is ants. An interesting fact is that it is reported that the male species eat more food than the females.

Reproduction
For the species in Gracilinanus, a female will produce more young than she can care for, so some young will die. Different from the usual, the female has two vaginas and the male have a two-prolonged penis. Some females can have a litter size of up to, but usually have litter of about. Females of the species do not have a pouch that the young are able to stay in. ,, For those that do not have a pouch for the young to stay in, the young are only attached to the nipples for a short time period and are left in their nests early on in their life.

Interesting facts
Some species are nocturna,. Some Gracilinanus species know how to play dead. The newest specie that was found, G. ignitus, is reported to be one of the largest of all the species. G. emiliae is one of the species that has only a dozen specimens found. The species in this genus are known to climb a lot and dig holes in trees or the ground.