Didelphis marsupialis Linnaeus, 1758

Fonda, Federica, Vezzani, Liam, Mena Aguilar, Luis Ángel, Venegas-Elizondo, Carlos Andrés, Bolaños Brenes, Alexander, Lopez, Dayron Manuel, Romeo, Giuseppe, Sonetti, Dario & Dal Zotto, Matteo, 2025, Mammal diversity and tourism influence in an under-investigated region of Costa Rica, ZooKeys 1260, pp. 37-74 : 37-74

Didelphis marsupialis Linnaeus, 1758

Fig. 3 A Common opossum

Material examined.

Costa Rica • Puntarenas Province, Karen Mogensen Wildlife Refuge ; 09°52'11"N, 085°03'28"W; 298 m alt.; 05.03.2018; direct observation .

Identification.

Medium-sized opossum, mainly nocturnal. Identified by shaggy grey guard hairs and pale underfur. The cheeks are characterised by a dirty yellow colour and its whiskers are black. The tail is longer than the head and body, black and white, with the white portion usually longer than the black one ( Wainwright 2007; Astúa 2015). Common in the study area. Recorded almost in every habitat type in all seasons. A congener species ( D. virginiana Kerr, 1792 ) occurs in northwestern Costa Rica, and it is distinguished by a tail shorter than the head and body ( Reid and Gόmez Zamora 2022 and literature therein).

Figures

Figure 3. Camera-trapped mammals in the Karen Mogensen Wildlife Refuge. A. Didelphis marsupialis; B. Tamandua mexicana; C. Eira barbara; D. Lontra annectens; E. Puma concolor; F. Leopardus pardalis.