Movement Patterns and Home Range in the Common Opossum (Didelphis marsupialis)

Sunquist, Melvin E.; Austad, Steven N.; Sunquist, Fiona

doi:10.2307/1381069

Cited by 92 publications

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“…PIRES et al (2002) observed movements of up to 860 m/day for this species in the Atlantic forest fragments of Poço das Antas Biological Reserve. The larger movement detected in the present study was 1,140 m, similar in magnitude to Didelphis marsupialis Linnaeus, 1758 movements recorded by SUNQUIST et al (1987). Using spool-and-line, MILES et al (1981) recorded nocturnal averages of 801 m, 506 m and 438 m/night for D. marsupialis, Metachirus nudicaudatus (Desmarest, 1817) and Philander opossum Linnaeus, 1758 respectively.…”

Section: Discussionsupporting

confidence: 78%

A radio tracking study of home range and movements of the marsupial Micoureus demerarae (Thomas) (Mammalia, Didelphidae) in the Atlantic forest of south-eastern Brazil

Moraes

Chiarello

2005

Rev. Bras. Zool.

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Section: Discussionsupporting

confidence: 78%

A radio tracking study of home range and movements of the marsupial Micoureus demerarae (Thomas) (Mammalia, Didelphidae) in the Atlantic forest of south-eastern Brazil

Moraes

Chiarello

2005

Rev. Bras. Zool.

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“…In the study of Didelphis marsupialis Linnaeus, 1758 by SUNQUIST et al (1987), the authors did not find a significant difference between the types of resting places used by males and females, but observed that males change their sleeping sites more frequently than females. They also observed a significant difference in the type of resting site used between seasons for all monitored individuals, unlike the observed in present study.…”

Section: Resultsmentioning

confidence: 97%

“…They also observed a significant difference in the type of resting site used between seasons for all monitored individuals, unlike the observed in present study. In the wet season, for example, the sleeping sites of D. marsupialis were located most frequently on the ground, and in trees during the dry season (SUNQUIST et al 1987). As D. marsupialis has a scansorial habit (EMMONS & FEER 1997) it can use a larger variety of sleeping sites.…”

Section: Resultsmentioning

confidence: 99%

“…Locating the sleeping places and refuges of small mammals in an area of forest, using only active searching, is almost impossible. The methods which obtain the best results are 'spool-and-line' (MILES et al 1981, WOOLEY 1989, BRIANI et al 2001) and radio-telemetry , SUNQUIST et al 1987. MILES et al (1981), using the (29,3%), uma diferença significativa (teste 2 ; p < 0,005).…”

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confidence: 99%

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Sleeping sites of woolly mouse opossum Micoureus demerarae (Thomas) (Didelphimorphia, Didelphidae) in the Atlantic Forest of south-eastern Brazil

Moraes

Chiarello

2005

Rev. Bras. Zool.

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Micoureus demerarae (Thomas, 1905) is a medium-sized marsupial, around 130 g, with a nocturnal habit and insectivorous-omnivorous diet. From August 2001 to July 2002, seven individuals, three males and four females, were monitored with radio-telemetry in Reserva Biológica União, state of Rio de Janeiro, Brazil, aiming to investigate and describe the sleeping sites used by this marsupial. Fifty eight sleeping sites were located, most of which (70,7%) in palm trees Astrocaryum aculeatissimum (Schott) Burret, and the remaining in other tree species (29,3%), a significant difference (chi2 test; p < 0.005). The preference for this palm tree was not different between sexes (chi2 test; p = 0.920). It was possible to locate the exact place where the animal was hiding in 31 sleeping sites (53.4% of total) in palm trees the animals were always in the junction point of petioles and tree trunks, at an average height of 4.66 ± 1.36 m, while in the remaining tree species, seven individuals were in liana tangles and two in tree holes, at an average height of 10.67 ± 2.75 m. This height difference was significant (Mann Whitney test; p < 0.001). Results indicate that palm trees are important resources for M. demerarae. The observed preference for A. aculeatissimum is probably due to higher protection against predators made by the numerous spines of this palm tree species.

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“…Sunquist et al 1987), the great variability of habitats that they inhabit, the fruits they consume, and their capability to transport seeds to appropriate microenvironments, D. albiventris and the other didelphids can be considered potential seed dispersers (Wiseman & Hendrickson 1950, Medellín 1994, Cáceres et al 1999, Cáceres & Monteiro-Filho 2000. Even when not all ingested seeds germinate as frequently as the noningested ones, white-eared opossums feed especially on fruits with small seeds, which are swallowed intact and, depending on the species an expressive proportion of them (up to 71%) remain viable after defecation.…”

Section: Plant Speciesmentioning

confidence: 99%

Potential seed dispersal by Didelphis albiventris (Marsupialia, Didelphidae) in highly disturbed environment

et al. 2010

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Potential seed dispersal by Didelphis albiventris (Marsupialia, Didelphidae) in highly disturbed environment. Biota Neotrop. 10(2): http://www.biotaneotropica. org.br/v10n2/en/abstract?article+bn00610022010.Abstract: Urban forests are usually isolated and highly disturbed, however they are important shelters for tolerant animal species. Their food habits expose the different ecological roles these animals perform in the habitat. We analyzed the contribution of Didelphis albiventris Lund (1840), as a seed disperser, to the vegetation renewal of an urban forest fragment, describing its frugivorous diet and testing the viability of ingested seeds. Both male and female of white-eared opossum included a vast variety of items in their diet, mainly invertebrates and fruits. Fruits were consumed during all year round and seasonality was not observed. The majority of consumed fruits was from pioneer plant species, which is common in disturbed areas, in accordance to the opossum's opportunistic habits. The viability of ingested seeds, evaluated by linear logistic regression models applied to data from germination tests, was different of the seeds collected directly from ripe fruits; it varied among species, maybe due to the intrinsic characteristics of plant species. As a highly generalist species, D. albiventris can inhabit disturbed environments and then disperse seeds from pioneer plants, where the vegetation must be restored. It is crucial that this process does not depend only on the specialist frugivores, which are frequently absent in urban forest fragments. Therefore, the presence of generalist species of secondary environments has its importance emphasized. Resumo: Florestas urbanas são geralmente isoladas e altamente degradadas; contudo são importantes abrigos para espécies de animais tolerantes. Os hábitos alimentares destes animais explicitam os diferentes papéis ecológicos que eles desempenham no hábitat. Nós analisamos a contribuição de Didelphis albiventris Lund (1840) como dispersor de sementes para a regeneração da vegetação de um fragmento florestal urbano. Para isso, descrevemos sua dieta frugívora e testamos a viabilidade das sementes por ele ingeridas. Tanto machos quanto fêmeas de gambá-de-orelha-branca incluiram uma grande variedade de itens alimentares na dieta, principalmente invertebrados e frutos. Frutos foram consumidos durante todo o ano e a sazonalidade não foi observada. A maioria das sementes defecadas era proveniente de plantas pioneiras, comuns em ambientes perturbados, o que concorda com seu hábito oportunista. A viabilidade das sementes ingeridas, verificada mediante modelos de regressão logística linear aplicada a dados de testes de germinação, foi diferente das sementes obtidas de frutos maduros e variou entre espécies, talvez devido a características intrínsecas da planta. Enquanto uma espécie generalista, D. albiventris é capaz de habitar ambientes perturbados, e dispersar as sementes de plantas de estágio inicial de sucessão, onde a vegetação necessita ser restaurada. É essencial q...

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Movement Patterns and Home Range in the Common Opossum (Didelphis marsupialis)

Cited by 92 publications

References 0 publications

A radio tracking study of home range and movements of the marsupial Micoureus demerarae (Thomas) (Mammalia, Didelphidae) in the Atlantic forest of south-eastern Brazil

A radio tracking study of home range and movements of the marsupial Micoureus demerarae (Thomas) (Mammalia, Didelphidae) in the Atlantic forest of south-eastern Brazil

Sleeping sites of woolly mouse opossum Micoureus demerarae (Thomas) (Didelphimorphia, Didelphidae) in the Atlantic Forest of south-eastern Brazil

Potential seed dispersal by Didelphis albiventris (Marsupialia, Didelphidae) in highly disturbed environment

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