Feeding ecology of marsupials (Didelphimorphia, Didelphidae) in different forest environments in eastern Brazil

Abstract Studies on diet differences between and within species help explain how natural history variation and environmental changes affect ecological interactions. This study aimed to investigate the diet of nine didelphid species captured in different environments (humid, semi-deciduous, liana forests, and agroforestry systems) in eastern Brazilian Atlantic Forest. It was hypothesized that diet variation would occur between species, individuals of the same species in different environments, and between sexes. The richness and composition of food items were compared among six species, with diet comparisons across environments and sexes for four species. Results showed a high frequency of arthropods in the diet, especially Formicidae and Termitidae. Larger species exhibited more diverse diets, overlapping with those of smaller species. Marmosa murina showed greater richness of consumed items in agroforests, with Formicidae as the most frequent. No differences were observed between sexes, possibly due to high temporal variability in the data, which may limit detection of sex-related patterns. These findings help fill knowledge gaps on didelphid diet and highlight the importance of investigating dietary variation between and within species.