Abstract
Wildlife rehabilitation facilities in the Caribbean region are limited, yet they can provide relevant information on wild populations. Didelphis marsupialis insularis is a popularly hunted, under-studied, neo-tropical marsupial species that is increasingly being admitted for rehabilitation. The aim of this study was 1. To record the experiences of rehabilitating D. marsupialis insularis in the neo-tropical island of Trinidad and Tobago and 2. To extract and highlight information on the biology of this opossum sub-species. Using admission records, obtained over a roughly four year period, two breeding periods (February to March and August to October) were illustrated. Litter sizes averaged five individuals, with a range of 1 to 8 young. This species was found to be common in urban areas of the country, with dog attacks reported as the major cause for admission. Thus the information recorded by this wildlife rehabilitation facility has provided great insight on the sparsely studied opossum, D. marsupialis insularis.
Highlights
The information recorded by this wildlife rehabilitation facility has provided great insight on the sparsely studied opossum, D. marsupialis insularis
A total of 150 young opossums were admitted for rehabilitation to the Wake up and Call Shelter (WUC) with an average of 37.5 per year
The majority of opossums admitted to the WUC were received from the North-western region of Trinidad (81%, n=98) (Figure 1)
Summary
Wildlife rehabilitation can be defined as “the temporary care of injured, diseased and displaced indigenous animals and the subsequent release of healthy animals to an appropriate habitat in the wild” (Miller, 2000; Fowler and Miller 2007). It can vary in scope from individual rehabilitators, to large, well-equipped and well-staffed, modern animal hospitals (Kirkwood, 2003; Trocini et al, 2008). They can provide knowledge on the biology and behaviour of wildlife species and educate the public on the value of wildlife and the roles they play in healthy ecosystems (Sleeman, 2007)
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