Didelphis aurita: Astua de Moraes, D., de la Sancha, N. & Costa, L.

Fifty-six opossums (Didelphis aurita) were captured on the campus of Universidade Federal Rural do Rio de Janeiro, Seropédica county, Rio de Janeiro state, in order to investigate the occurrence of Borrelia sp among them in relation with the study of spirochaetemia and its ectoparasites. Blood tests were made through dark field and phase contrast microscopy, as well as the obtainment of blood smears. Smears were stained with Giemsa stain, which did not prove efficacy. There was no relation between results obtained through blood tests (13 opossum positive for Borreliasp.), and this technique (two positive animals). Parasitaemia studies of 37 animals kept in captivity as well as of several recaptures in which animals once negative proved to be positive days later, showed that haemoscopical studies could be used as an effective diagnosis tool. Ectoparasites from nine animals were classified; with the occurrence of nymphal Amblyomma cajennense and adult Ctenocephalides sp..

Download Full-text

A New and Simple Method to Capture Small Arboreal Mammals: The Suspended Pitfall

Revista Brasileira de Zoociências ◽

10.34019/2596-3325.2019.v20.24790 ◽

2019 ◽

Vol 20 (1) ◽

pp. 1-14

Author(s):

Helder José ◽

Iasmin Macedo ◽

Mateus Cruz Loss

Keyword(s):

The Other ◽

Southeastern Brazil ◽

Native Forest ◽

Simple Method ◽

Live Trap ◽

Set Up ◽

Cacao Plantation ◽

Didelphis Aurita ◽

Tree Branch ◽

Doce River

The suspended pitfall demonstrates a new and simple mechanism to capture small arboreal and scansorial mammals. It is an arboreal version of the pitfalls traditionally used to capture terrestrial amphibians and reptiles. Buckets with bait inside are raised by a rope until they reach a tree branch at the desired height. Tests were performed in the Atlantic Forest at three different sites at the mouth of Doce River in Linhares, southeastern Brazil. In one of them suspended pitfalls were set up in the understory of a shaded cacao plantation (cabruca agroforest) in the branches of cacao trees between 2 and 3 m in height, and in the other they were placed in a native forest between 5 to 15 m in height. At the third site, suspended pitfalls were tested together with the other live traps used hitherto in the understory of other cabruca agroforest. The marsupials Didelphis aurita, Caluromys philander, Marmosa (Micoureus) paraguayana, Gracilinanus microtarsus, Marmosa murina and the rodent Rhipidomys mastacalis were captured by suspended pitfall. This live trap was capable of catching all sizes of small arboreal mammals, including juvenile individuals. This method proved to be functional for the capture of some small arboreal mammals and may be a complementary alternative for sampling in high forest strata.

Download Full-text

Precipitation, Litterfall, and the Dynamics of Density and Biomass in the Black-Eared Opossum,Didelphis aurita

Journal of Mammalogy ◽

10.1644/06-mamm-a-263.1 ◽

2008 ◽

Vol 89 (1) ◽

pp. 159-167 ◽

Cited By ~ 15

Author(s):

S. M. Mendel ◽

M. V. Vieira ◽

R. Cerqueira

Keyword(s):

Density And Biomass ◽

Didelphis Aurita

Download Full-text

Endocrine cells and nerve ganglia of the small intestine of the Opossum Didelphis aurita Wied-Neuwied, 1826 (Mammalia: Didelphidae)

Anais da Academia Brasileira de Ciências ◽

10.1590/s0001-37652012005000045 ◽

2012 ◽

Vol 84 (3) ◽

pp. 747-758 ◽

Cited By ~ 4

Author(s):

Gláucia M. Freitas-Ribeiro ◽

Cláudio C. Fonseca ◽

Sirlene S.R. Sartori ◽

Alan Loures-Ribeiro ◽

Clóvis A. Neves

Keyword(s):

Small Intestine ◽

Endocrine Cells ◽

Nutrient Digestion ◽

Central Objective ◽

Staining Techniques ◽

Immunohistochemical Techniques ◽

Didelphis Aurita ◽

Myenteric Plexuses

The nervous and endocrine systems jointly control intestinal movements, secretions of their glands and also participate of the processes of nutrient digestion and absorption. Therefore, the central objective of this study was to verify the existence of a possible relationship between the number of nervous cells and ganglia of the submucosal and myenteric plexuses and the number of endocrine cells in the small intestine of adult D. aurita. The utilized staining techniques were Grimelius, modified Masson-Fontana, direct immunoperoxidase and H-E. Argyrophillic, argentaffin and insulin immunoreactive endocrine cells do not numerically vary between the initial, mid and final regions of the duodenum, jejunum and ileum (P>0.05), except for argyrophillic cells in the jejunum (P>0.05). No numerical relationship has yet been verified between the number of nerve ganglia and endocrine cells, and also between nervous and endocrine cells. We recommended the use of new immunohistochemical techniques to confirm the numerical correlation between the nervous and endocrine systems in the small intestine. The morphology and distribution of endocrine cells and the nerve ganglia studied were similar to those encountered in eutherian mammals.

Download Full-text

First evidence of gregarious denning in opossums (Didelphimorphia, Didelphidae), with notes on their social behaviour

Biology Letters ◽

10.1098/rsbl.2015.0307 ◽

2015 ◽

Vol 11 (6) ◽

pp. 20150307 ◽

Cited By ~ 4

Author(s):

Diego Astúa ◽

Rafael A. Carvalho ◽

Paula F. Maia ◽

Arthur R. Magalhães ◽

Diogo Loretto

Keyword(s):

Social Interactions ◽

Camera Traps ◽

Pair Bonding ◽

Agonistic Interactions ◽

Age Classes ◽

Artificial Nests ◽

Males And Females ◽

Didelphis Aurita ◽

Nest Sharing ◽

Didelphis Albiventris

The Didelphidae are considered solitary opossums with few social interactions, usually limited to mating-related or mother–pouch young interactions. Anecdotal reports suggest that additional interactions occur, including den sharing by a few individuals, usually siblings. Here, we report novel observations that indicate opossums are more social than previously thought. These include nest sharing by males and females of Marmosa paraguayana , Gracilinanus microtarsus and Marmosops incanus prior to the onset of the breeding season and without signs of sexual activity; this is taken to indicate early pair-bonding matching and cooperative nest building. We also recorded den sharing among recently weaned siblings of Didelphis aurita and Caluromys philander . In addition, we observed 13 individuals of Didelphis albiventris representing three age classes resting without agonistic interactions in a communal den. These are the first reports of gregarious behaviour involving so many individuals, which are either unrelated or represent siblings from at least two litters, already weaned, sharing the same den with three adults. Sociality in opossums is probably more complex than previously established, and field experimental designs combining the use of artificial nests with camera traps or telemetry may help to gauge the frequency and extent of these phenomena.

Download Full-text

Scale-dependent habitat selection in three didelphid marsupials using the spool-and-line technique in the Atlantic forest of Brazil

Journal of Tropical Ecology ◽

10.1017/s0266467405002270 ◽

2005 ◽

Vol 21 (3) ◽

pp. 337-342 ◽

Cited By ~ 25

Author(s):

Maíra C. Moura ◽

Alice C. Caparelli ◽

Simone R. Freitas ◽

Marcus V. Vieira

Keyword(s):

Habitat Selection ◽

Multiple Scales ◽

Structural Characteristics ◽

Spatial Scales ◽

Direction Change ◽

Selection For ◽

Habitat Scale ◽

Didelphis Aurita ◽

Metachirus Nudicaudatus ◽

Habitat Variables

Habitat selection can be detected at different scales. For small mammals, habitat studies normally evaluate micro- or meso-habitat selection, but rarely are multiple scales analysed simultaneously. These studies use quantitative data of structural characteristics around the trap stations to evaluate selection. We test an alternative method to evaluate habitat selection in three didelphid marsupials (Didelphis aurita, Philander frenatus and Metachirus nudicaudatus), using a spool-and-line device, and measure habitat selection at two spatial scales. Habitat was characterized by seven habitat variables measured at ten points of direction change along the path traversed by each individual, and at 25 trap stations distributed in a 1-ha area. Micro-habitat selection was estimated at each point by comparing habitat measures between the direction selected against other directions. Meso-habitat selection was estimated by comparing habitat measurements on the whole path of an individual against habitat measures on the 25 trap stations. Patterns of selection for each species could only be detected at the meso-habitat scale, although a few individuals in each species were selective at the micro-habitat scale. Studies of habitat selection need to address the scale of study quantitatively, if possible comparing two or more scales to determine the scale of selection.

Download Full-text