| The relative proportions of the digestive tract were rarely explored to understand the behaviour and the ecology of neotropical marsupials. In this study, proportions of the digestive tract and diet were compared in seven opossum species. The animals studied were Didelphis albiventris Lund, 1840, D. aurita Wied-Neuwied, 1826, Metachirus nudicaudatus (Desmarest, 1817), Philander frenatus (Olfers, 1818), Lutreolina crassicaudata Desmarest, 1804, Monodelphis sorex (Hensel, 1872) and Caluromys lanatus (Olfers, 1818). Segments of digestive tracts of marsupials were measured and differences were statistically tested by Analysis of Variance and Covariance. Caecum and hard guts were responsible for the main differences among opossums, although all segments... |
