Age, season, and arboreal movements of the opossum Didelphis aurita in an Atlantic rain forest of Brasil

• Autorzy: Cunha A. A. , Vieira M.V.
• Języki publikacji: EN

Abstrakty

EN

The common opossum of the Atlantic forest,Didelphis aurita Wied-Neuwied, 1826 is predominantly terrestrial, but uses the vertical space of the forest regularly. It is the didelphid that most frequently uses large supports in vertical movements. Here we test the influence of age and seasonality in fruit production on the vertical movements ofD. aurita. Animals were trapped in Serra dos Órgăos, state of Rio de Janeiro, and equipped with a spool-and-line device before release. The paths were tracked, and variables related to support incline, diameter, distances and heights moved above ground were measured and compared between age classes and seasons. There were no significant differences between seasons. Individuals of all ages used the vertical space of the forest but the young opossums did it more intensively along their paths.

Słowa kluczowe

EN

age; seasonality; arboreal movement; body size; small mammal; vertical stratification; opossum; Didelphis aurita; Atlantic forest; rain forest; Brazil

• Wydawca: -
• Czasopismo: Acta Theriologica
• Rocznik: 2005
• Tom: 50
• Numer: 4
• Opis fizyczny: p.551-560,fig.,ref.

Twórcy

autor

Cunha A. A.

• Universidade Fedreal do Rio de Janeiro, CP 68020, Rio de Janeiro, RJ, Cep 21941-590, Brazil

autor

Vieira M.V.

Bibliografia

• Astúa de Moraes D., Santori R. T., Finotti R. and Cerqueira R. 2003. Nutritional and fiber contents of laboratory-established diets of neotropical opossums (Didelphimorphia, Didelphidae). [In: Predators with pouches: The biology of carnivorous marsupials. M. Jones, C. Dickman and M. Archer, eds]. CSIRO Publishing: 229–237.
• Atramentowicz M. 1988. La frugivorie opportuniste de trois marsupiaux didelphidés de guyane. Revue d’Ecologie (Terre et Vie) 43: 47–57.
• Boonstra R. and Craine I. T. M. 1986. Natal nest location and small mammals tracking with a spool and line technique. Canadian Journal of Zoology 64: 1034–1036.
• Cáceres N. C., Dittrich V. A. O. and Monteiro-Filho E. L. A. 1999. Fruit consumption, distance of seed dispersal and germination of solanaceous plants ingested by common opossum (Didelphis aurita) in southern Brazil. Revue d’ Ecologie (Terre et Vie) 54: 225- 233.
• Cáceres N. C. and Monteiro-Filho E. L. A. 2000. The common opossum,Didelphis aurita, as seed disperser of several plants in southern Brazil. Ciência e Cultura 52: 41–44.
• Cerqueira R. 1985. The distribution ofDidelphis in south america (Polyprotodontia, Didelphidae). Journal of Biogeography 12: 135–145.
• Charles-Dominique P., Atramentowicz M., Charles-Dominique M., Gérard H., Hladik A., Hladir C. M. and Prévost M. F. 1981. Les mammifères frugivores arboricols nocturnes d’une forLt guyanaise: Inter-relations plantes-animaux. Revue d’ Ecologie (Terre et Vie) 35: 341–435.
• Crowley P. H. 1992. Resampling methods for computation intensive analysis in ecology and evolution. Annual Review of Ecology and Systematics 23: 405- 447.
• Cunha A. C. and Vieira M. V. 2002. Support diameter, incline, and vertical movements of four didelphid marsupials in the Atlantic forest of Brazil. Journal of Zoology 258: 419–426.
• Dinerstein E., Oslon D. M., Graham D. J., Webster A. L., Primm S. A., Bookbinder M. P. and Ledec G. 1995. A conservation assessment of the terrestrial ecoregions of Latin America and the Caribbean. WWF & World Bank., Washington, DC: 1–129.
• Fleck D. W. and Harder J. D. 1995. Ecology of marsupials in two Amazonian rain forest in northeastern Peru. Journal of Mammalogy 76: 809- 818.
• Fonseca G. A. B. and Kierulff M. C. M. 1989. Biology and natural history of Brazilian Atlantic forest small mammals. Bulletin of the Florida State Museum, Biological Sciences 34: 99–152.
• Freitas S. R. 1998. [Spatial and temporal variation in habitat structure, and microhabitat selection by small mammals in the Atlantic forest]. MSc thesis, National Museum of the Federal University of Rio de Janeiro, Rio de Janeiro: 1–168. [In Portuguese]
• Freitas, S. R., Astúa de Moraes, D., Santori, R. T. and Cerqueira, R. 1997. Habitat preference and food use byMetachirus nudicaudatus andDidelphis aurita in a restinga forest at Rio de Janeiro. Revista Brasileira de Biologia 57: 93–98.
• Grelle, C. E. V. 2003. Forest structure and vertical stratification of small mammals in southeast Brazil. Studies on Neotropical Fauna and Environment 38: 81–85.
• Grelle C. E. V. and Garcia Q. S. 1999. Potential dispersal ofCecropia hololeuca by the common opossum (Didelphis aurita) in Atlantic forest, southeastern Brazil. Revue d’ Ecologie (Terre et Vie) 54: 327- 332.
• Hossler J. R., McAninch J. B. and Harder J. D. 1994. Maternal denning behavior and survival of juveniles in opossums in southeastern New York. Journal of Mammalogy 75: 60–70.
• Hume I. D. 1982. Digestive physiology of marsupials. Comparative Biochemistry and Physiology 71A: 1–10.
• Jackson J. F. 1981. Seed size as a correlate of temporal and spatial patterns of seed fall in a neotropical forest. Biotropica 13: 121–130.
• Jenkins F. A. Jr and McClean D. 1984. Mechanisms of hindfoot reversal in climbing mammals. Journal of Morphology 182: 197–219.
• Julien-Laferrière D. and Atramentowicz M. 1990. Feeding and reproduction of three didelphid marsupials in two neotropical forests (French Guiana). Biotropica 22: 404–415.
• Lagos V. O., Contreras L. C., Menserve P. L., Gutiérrez J. R. and Jaksic F. M. 1995. Effects of predation risk on space use by small mammals: A field experiment with a neotropical rodent. Oikos 74: 259–264.
• Leite Y. L. R., Costa L. P. and Stallings J. R. 1996. Diet and vertical space use of three sympatric opossums in a Brazilian Atlantic forest reserve. Journal of Tropical Ecology 12: 435–440.
• Lemen C. A. and Freeman P. W. 1985. Tracking mammals with fluorescent pigments: A new techinique. Journal of Mammalogy 66: 134–136.
• Loretto D. and Vieira M.V. (in press). The effects of reproductive and climatic seasons on movements in the black-eared opossum (Didelphis aurita Wied-Neuwied, 1826). Journal of Mammalogy 83: 287–293.
• Manly B. J. F. 1997. Randomization, boostrap and Monte Carlo methods in biology. Second edition. Chapmam & Hall, New York: 1–399.
• Manville C. J., Barnum S. A. and Tester J. R. 1992. Influence of bait on arboreal behavior ofPeromyscus leucopus. Journal of Mammalogy 73: 335–336.
• McShea W. J. and Gilles A. B. 1992. A comparison of traps and fluorescent powder to describe foranging for mast byPeromyscus leucopus. Journal of Mammalogy 73: 218–222.
• Mendell S. and Vieira M. V. 2003. Movement distances and density estimation of small mammals using the spool-and-line technique. Acta Theriologica 48: 289–300.
• Miles M. A., Souza A. A. D. and Póvoa M. M. 1981. Mammal tracking and nest location in Brazilian forest with an improved spool-and-line device. Journal of Zoology, London 195: 331–347.
• Morellato L. P. C., Talora D. C., Takahasi A., Bencke C. C., Romera E. C. and Zipparro V. B. 2000. Phenology of Atlantic rain forest trees: a comparative study. Biotropica 32: 811–823.
• Motta M. F. D. 1988. [Study of the extra-uterine development ofDidelphis aurita, Wied, 1826, in captivity: investigating criteria for age estimation]. MSc thesis, National Museum of the Federal University of Rio de Janeiro, Rio de Janeiro: 1–105. [In Portuguese]
• Moura M. C., Caparelli A. C., Freitas S. R. and Vieira M. V. 2005. Scale-dependent habitat selection in three didelphid marsupials using the spool-and-line technique in the Atlantic forest of Brazil. Journal of Tropical Ecology 21:1–7.
• O’Connell M. A. 1989. Population dynamics of neotropical small mammals in seasonal habitats. Journal of Mammalogy 70: 532–548.
• Passamani M. 1995. Vertical stratification of small mammals in Atlantic hill forest. Mammalia 59: 276–279.
• Peres C. 1994. Primate responses to phenological changes in an Amazonian terra firme forest. Biotropica 26: 98–112.
• Perissé M. and Cerqueira R. 1988. Food habits on the niche segregation betweenPhilander opossum andDidelphis aurita (Polyprotodontia, Didelphidae). Annual Seminar of Regional Ecology, Săo Carlos 6: 283–294. [In Portuguese with English summary]
• Rademaker V. 2001. [Population ecology and reproduction of Didelphis, with special emphasis inD. aurita in a disturbed area of Atlantic Forest in the Serra dos Órgăos, Guapimirim, RJ]. MSc thesis, Graduate Program in Wildlife Management and Conservation, Belo Horizonte: 1–46. [In Portuguese]
• Rizzini C. T. 1979. [Treatise of phytogeography of Brazil: sociological and floristic aspects]. Hucitec Ltda. and University of Săo Paulo Press, Săo paulo: 1–374. [In Portuguese]
• Santori R. T., Astúa de Moraes D. and Cerqueira R. 1995a. Diet composition ofMetachirus nudicaudatus andDidelphis aurita (Marsupialia, Didelphidea) in southeastern Brazil. Mammalia 59: 511–516.
• Santori R. T., Cerqueira R. and Kleske C. C. 1995b. Digestive anatomy and efficienty ofDidelphis aurita andPhilander opossum (Didelphimorphia, Didelphidae) in relation to food habits. Revista Brasileira de Biologia 55: 323–329. [In Portuguese with English summary]
• Sokal R. R. and Rohlf F. J. 1995. Biometry: the principles and practice of statistics in biological research. 3rd. W. H. Freeman and Company, New York: 1–887.
• SOS Mata Atlântica/INPE/ISA. 1998. [Atlas of the evolution of forest remnants and ecosystems associated with the Atlantic Forest Domain in the 1990-95 period]. SOS Mata Atlântica/INPE/ISA, Săo Paulo: 1–54. [In Portuguese]
• Stallings J. R. 1989. Small mammal inventories in an eastern Brazilian park. Bulletin of the Florida State Museum, Biological Sciences 34: 159–200.
• Szalay F. S. 1994. Evolutionary history of the marsupials and an analysis of osteological characters. Cambridge University Press, Cambridge: 1–481.
• Vieira E. M. 1998. A technique for trapping small mammals in the forest canopy. Mammalia 62: 306–310.
• Vieira E. M. and Izar P. 1999. Interactions between aroids and arboreal mammals in the Brazilian Atlantic rainforest. Plant Ecology 145: 75–82.
• Vieira M. V. 1997. Body size and form in two neotropical marsupials,Didelphis aurita andPhilander opossum (Marsupialia, Didelphidae). Mammalia 61: 245–254.