They reside in shrubby areas with lots of vegetation and often are found in the hollows of trees.

[4] Life span in the wild is unknown but in captivity they are live, on average, about 3.9 years.

They are nocturnal and during the day they stay in nests in hollow logs or tree trunks and are active during twilight.

Their diet consists of seeds, shoots and fruits, carrion, insects such as cockroaches, crickets and spiders, and some small rodents.

The young cling to the mother's fur and nipples and ride on her back when they are old enough to hold on.

After close examination and gene sequence studies in 2010, it was determined that there were actually three different species in the Bolivian area: M. brevicaudata and M.domestica.