Didelphis marsupialis

Taxonomy

Assessment Information

Geographic Range

Population

Habitat and Ecology

Threats

Conservation Actions

Taxonomy [top]

Kingdom	Phylum	Class	Order	Family
ANIMALIA	CHORDATA	MAMMALIA	DIDELPHIMORPHIA	DIDELPHIDAE

Scientific Name:

Didelphis marsupialis

Species Authority:

Linnaeus, 1758

Common Name/s:

English	–	Black-eared Opossum, Common Opossum, Southern Opossum
French	–	Sarigue Australe
Spanish	–	Comadreja Grande

Assessment Information [top]

Red List Category & Criteria:

Least Concern ver 3.1

Year Assessed:

2008

Assessor/s

Brito, D., Astua de Moraes, D., Lew, D., Soriano, P., Emmons, L., Cuarón, A.D, Helgen, K., Reid, R. & Vazquez, E.

Evaluator/s:

Amori, G. (Small Nonvolant Mammal Red List Authority) & Schipper, J. (Global Mammal Assessment Team)

Justification:
This species is listed as Least Concern in because of its wide distribution, presumed large population, tolerance of habitat modification, occurrence in a number of protected areas and because it is unlikely to be declining at nearly the rate required to qualify for listing in a threatened category. Although hunted or trapped locally for food, sport and as predators of poultry, the species does not appear to have been adversely affected by human settlement. Commercial hunting for the fur trade does not appear to have much impact.

History:

1996

–

Lower Risk/least concern (Baillie and Groombridge 1996)

Geographic Range [top]

Range Description:	The species is found from Tamaulipas, Mexico and is Cozumel and the Yucatan, south to Peru, Bolivia, Paraguay and northeastern Argentina, including Trinidad and the Lesser Antilles (Emmons and Feer, 1997; Eisenberg and Redford, 1999; Gardner, 2007). It can be found to about 2,000 m elevation (Eisenberg and Redford, 1999; Emmons and Feer, 1997).
Countries:	Native: Argentina; Belize; Bolivia; Brazil; Colombia; Costa Rica; Ecuador; El Salvador; French Guiana; Guatemala; Guyana; Honduras; Mexico; Nicaragua; Panama; Paraguay; Peru; Suriname; Trinidad and Tobago; Venezuela
Range Map:	(click map to view full version)

Population [top]

Population:	This species is common, and is hunted for meat only where other game is scarce (Emmons and Feer, 1997). Densities of 0.25-0.75 individuals per hectare are found in Venezuela (O'Connell, 1979), and of 0.09-1.32 in Panamá (Fleming 1972).
Population Trend:	Stable

Habitat and Ecology [top]

Habitat and Ecology:	This species tolerates a wide variety of habitats, including rainforest and subtropical forest, secondary forest, and near human settlements where they feed on garbage. However, this species appears to be more sensitive to human disturbances than Didelphis albiventris. This species does not live at extreme altitudes (above 2,232 m) or in extremely arid zones. This species has been reasonably well studied in the northern portion of its range. It is nocturnal, arboreal, and usually solitary, although two or more may be encountered together during the breeding season when males actively court females. The females build a leaf nest in a tree cavity or burrow. Litter size varies with latitude, with smallest litters near the equator. Gestation period takes fourteen to fifteen days (Eisenberg, 1989). Given adequate shelter and a sustained food supply, the home range of a lactating female may be rather stable, but the animals are opportunistic feeders and readily shift home ranges to adapt to fluctuating resources. Mean Home-range ranged up to 123 ha for males, and to 16 ha for females. This species can be sympatric with D. albiventris in southeastern Brazil.
Systems:	Terrestrial

Habitat and Ecology:

This species tolerates a wide variety of habitats, including rainforest and subtropical forest, secondary forest, and near human settlements where they feed on garbage. However, this species appears to be more sensitive to human disturbances than Didelphis albiventris. This species does not live at extreme altitudes (above 2,232 m) or in extremely arid zones.

This species has been reasonably well studied in the northern portion of its range. It is nocturnal, arboreal, and usually solitary, although two or more may be encountered together during the breeding season when males actively court females. The females build a leaf nest in a tree cavity or burrow. Litter size varies with latitude, with smallest litters near the equator. Gestation period takes fourteen to fifteen days (Eisenberg, 1989). Given adequate shelter and a sustained food supply, the home range of a lactating female may be rather stable, but the animals are opportunistic feeders and readily shift home ranges to adapt to fluctuating resources. Mean Home-range ranged up to 123 ha for males, and to 16 ha for females. This species can be sympatric with D. albiventris in southeastern Brazil.

Systems:

Terrestrial

Threats [top]

Major Threat(s):	There are no major threats known to this species. In Suriname, it is collected for its meat which is illegally exported to French-Guiana (John de Bruin, in litt.).

Major Threat(s):

There are no major threats known to this species. In Suriname, it is collected for its meat which is illegally exported to French-Guiana (John de Bruin, in litt.).

Conservation Actions [top]

Conservation Actions:	This species can be found in many protected areas throughout its range.

Conservation Actions:

This species can be found in many protected areas throughout its range.

Citation:	Brito, D., Astua de Moraes, D., Lew, D., Soriano, P., Emmons, L., Cuarón, A.D, Helgen, K., Reid, R. & Vazquez, E. 2008. Didelphis marsupialis. In: IUCN 2008. 2008 IUCN Red List of Threatened Species. <www.iucnredlist.org>. Downloaded on 04 December 2008.
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