Although this species possesses ideal traits for captive breeding in this region (tolerance to high heat and humidity, high reproductive rate, and resistance to disease), challenges due to its aggressive behaviour and limited information on its breeding behaviour have prevented a system from being developed for this species. Although much work was completed over a wide span of years, there remain a number of areas still requiring investigation, particularly for the neo-tropical species of Didelphis that live in South America and the Caribbean.ĭeveloping a captive breeding system for the widely hunted Caribbean species of opossum Didelphis marsupialis insularis can greatly aide in the management and conservation of this species in the neo-tropics. Animal behaviour and digestion were both intensively studied in the 1900s, but focussed almost solely on captive Didelphis virginiana specimens, with limited research on its congeners. It was found that much is known on the natural history of the genus, except for the neo-tropical species which are yet to be studied. ![]() In total over 140 years of documented literature on the species was examined and synthesized. It further highlights the gaps of information on this genus. The following paper is a review of the state of knowledge on Didelphis species and focuses on the natural history, animal behaviour, diet and digestion. Rearing any species for production requires a solid knowledge on species biology and behaviour. ![]() Commonly referred to as opossums, Didelphis species have been widely studied over the years and possess a number of features that make them suitable for semi-intensive production. The genus Didelphis contains six species of marsupials that are found only in the Americas.
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