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

Abstract

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.

Activity pattern of Atlantic Forest small arboreal mammals as revealed by camera traps

“…2006) have an opportunistic insectivorous-omnivorous diet and both species search for nesting sites and shelters in the canopy (Delciellos et al . 2006, Moraes-Júnior & Chiarello 2005). Despite similarity in the activity patterns of both marsupials in the arboreal strata of the STSP, D. albiventris was also recorded on the floor, whereas we never recorded M. paraguayanus in this stratum.…”

Marmosa paraguayana (Marsupialia: Didelphidae) as a New Host for Gracilioxyuris agilisis (Nematoda: Oxyuridae) in Brazil

“…Recently, there has been an increased effort to elucidate various aspects of their ecology (e.g., Pires and Fernandez, 1999;Martins et al, 2006;Leiner and Silva, 2007), taxonomy (e.g., Voss andJansa, 2003, 2009), and behavior (Moraes Jr. and Chiarello, 2005;Delciellos and Vieira, 2009). However, although Neotropical marsupials are widespread and form a relatively wellknown group, knowledge of their parasitic fauna is still scarce.…”

Nesting behavior of Didelphis aurita: twenty days of continuous recording of a female in a coati nest

“…Dark anthropogenic spaces may also be used as nests (e.g., trash bins, cement boxes on the floor, Astúa et al 2015). These shelters may serve to avoid predators (Moraes Junior & Chiarello 2005), to protect the young ), and to regulate body temperature (Unger 1982;). Nests or dens in anthropogenic environments would be preferentially chosen by didelphids as they are not usually visited by wild predators, and they provide food and water sources (Krause & Krause 2006).…”

“…Females with infants use the same nest for a longer period (Hossler et al 1994;Allen et al 1995) than males and non-reproductive females, and they fill it with more material (Fadem & Swartz, 1986;Moraes Junior & Chiarello 2005), evidently to hide infants from the time they exit the pouch until they are weaned ). In D. aurita, the fetus develops in the uterus for thirteen days, on average, after which they move to the pouch for the next 90 day developmental phase (Julien-Laferrière & Atramentowicz 1990).…”