HÁBITOS ALIMENTARES DE MARSUPIAIS DIDELFÍDEOS BRASILEIROS

Abstract

FOOD HABITS OF BRAZILIAN DIDELPHID MARSUPIALS: ANALISYS OF CURRENT STATE
OF KNOWLEDGE. We evaluated the current knowledge on the feeding habits of Brazilian didelphids,
considering the available information on changes in diet composition between biomes. We also compared the
results obtained from the principal methods used in studies of diet in the field. Seasonal variation in resource
availability appears to have a strong influence on the composition of the diet for most species, although most
studies are merely descriptive, not directly assessing the availability of resources in the environment. Species
with wide geographical range may vary their diet between different habitats or biomes. Despite the increase in
the number of studies with the Brazilian marsupials over the last three decades, fundamental information on
dietary habits for most species is scarce or nonexistent.
Keywords: Didelphimorphia; Didelphidae; feeding ecology; diet.