NEW METHODS FOR THE STUDY OF VERTICAL STRATIFICATION OF NEOTROPICAL OPOSSUMS.

Abstract

New methods have been developed for the study of vertical stratification on small neotropical mammals, alternative to traditional methods using live traps. We reviewed three such alternative methods to study vertical stratification of didelphid marsupials in tropical forests: performance tests in an ecomorphological approach, spool-and-line, and artificial nests. The history of each method was reviewed, discussing their advantages and pitfalls, and presenting examples of the unique results reac,hed. More accurate tests of hypothesis about assemblage structure and population demography can be obtained by combination of traditional and alternative methods, which complement each other, minimizing their limitations.