Predatory Behavior of the Opossum Didelphis albiventris on the Pitviper Bothrops jararaca

Oliveira, Maria Ermelinda; Santori, Ricardo Tadeu

doi:10.1076/snfe.34.2.72.2105

Cited by 30 publications

(24 citation statements)

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“…Predators may target the rostral end of prey because the head and neck regions contain vital and vulnerable parts that are relatively accessible [14,17,27,28]. In other cases, seizing the head or neck of the prey may protect the predator against dangerous defensive behaviour such as retaliatory biting [30,31] or spitting [4]. An additional advantage for predators preying on lizards and other animals with autotomous tails might be that the head is firmly secured to the trunk and situated far away from the detachable end, so that the risk of ending up with but a minor bit of the prey is limited.…”

Section: Discussionmentioning

confidence: 99%

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Seeing through the lizard’s trick: do avian predators avoid autotomous tails?

2011

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Counter-adaptations of predators towards their prey are a far less investigated phenomenon in predator-prey interactions. Caudal autotomy is generally considered an effective last-resort mechanism for evading predators. However, in victim-exploiter relationships, the efficacy of a strategy will obviously depend on the antagonist’s ability to counter it. In the logic of the predator-prey arms race, one would expect predators to develop attack strategies that minimize the chance of autotomy of the prey and damage on the predator. We tested whether avian predators preferred grasping lizards by their head. We constructed plasticine models of the Italian wall lizard (Podarcis sicula) and placed them in natural habitat of the species. Judging from counts of beak marks on the models, birds preferentially attack the head and might also avoid the tail and limb regions. While a preference for the head might not necessarily demonstrate tail and limb avoidance, this topic needs further exploration because it suggests that even unspecialised avian predators may see through the lizard’s trick-of-the-tail. This result may have implications for our understanding of the evolution of this peculiar defensive system and the loss or decreased tendency to shed the tail on island systems with the absence of terrestrial predators.

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Section: Discussionmentioning

confidence: 99%

“…Grasshopper mice (Onychomys torridus) kill horned lizards (Phrynosoma cornutum and P. modestum) by chewing their cranium [14]. Opossums (Didelphis albiventris) subjugate pitvipers (Bothrops jararaca) by biting them in the head or neck region [30]. Grisons (Galictis spp.)…”

Section: Discussionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Seeing through the lizard’s trick: do avian predators avoid autotomous tails?

2011

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“…Although important in intermediate trophic levels as top predator`s prey (Facure & Giaretta 1996, Aragona & Setz 2001, these marsupials can also play other ecological roles, acting as predators of vertebrates (e.g. Oliveira & Santori 1999, Rollins & Carroll 2001, opportunistic gummivores (Aléssio et al 2005), pollinators (Steiner 1981) and seed dispersers of the fruits they consume (e.g. Atramentowicz 1988, Cáceres 2004.…”

Section: Introductionmentioning

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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“…Type ß retinal ganglion cells, which are believed to carry information for high-acuity vision and which have previously been described only in primates and carnivores, are also present in the opossum retina (Moraes et al 2000). Thus equipped, opossums of the genus Didelphis can be very accurate in catching a small snake by its neck (Oliveira and Santori 1999) and preying on small insects (Santori et al 1995, Freitas et al 1997. Marsupials of this genus can also climb trees and walk over fine branches (Cunha and Vieira 2002).…”

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confidence: 99%