SREL Reprint #3763

Home range and resource selection of Virginia opossums in the rural southeastern United States

Jacob E. Hill1, David A. Bernasconi1,2,3, Richard B. Chipman4, Amy T. Gilbert5, James C. Beasley1,2,
Olin E. Rhodes Jr1,6, and Guha Dharmarajan1,7

1Savannah River Ecology Laboratory, University of Georgia, PO Drawer E, Aiken, SC 29802, USA
2Warnell School of Forestry and Natural Resources, University of Georgia,
180 E Green St, Athens, GA 30602, USA
3Pacific States Marine Fisheries Commission, 1414 E. Locust Ln, Nampa, ID 83686, USA
4National Rabies Management Program, USDA, APHIS, Wildlife Services, Concord, NH 03301, USA
5National Wildlife Research Center, USDA, APHIS, Wildlife Services, 4101 Laporte Ave,
Fort Collins, CO 80521, USA
6Odum School of Ecology, University of Georgia, 140 E Green St, Athens, GA 30602, USA
7Division of Sciences, School of Interwoven Arts and Sciences, Krea University,
Sri City, Andhra Pradesh, India

Abstract: The Virginia opossum (Didelphis virginiana) has a rapidly expanding distribution in North America, but many aspects of its ecology remain relatively understudied, particularly in rural areas of its core range. We collected GPS telemetry data from 93 opossums in a rural, non-agricultural landscape in South Carolina, USA (2018–2019) to examine factors influencing space use and resource selection. Estimated male home ranges (99% utilization distributions) were on average 50% larger than those of females (mean home range 115.9 ± 103.7 ha vs 76.7 ± 75.0 ha). The home range size decreased on average by 20% with each 20% increase in deciduous land cover but was not affected by season or other landscape factors. Core area sizes (65% utilization distributions) were not influenced by sex (mean core area size 29.1 ± 23.7 ha and 22.4 ha ± 13.8 for males and females, respectively) or season, but the core area size decreased by 14% with each 400 m increase in distance from a permanent water source. Resource selection by opossums primarily occurred at the landscape level. Both males and females generally selected for wetlands while avoiding pine forests and developed/open areas, likely the result of differences in resource availability and predation risk between habitats. Opossums also tended to select for linear features such as unpaved roads and edge habitat, which may facilitate movement across the landscape. The home ranges we documented are among the largest recorded for opossums in the USA, likely the result of the relatively low resource abundance throughout our study area due to comparatively minimal anthropogenic influence.

Keywords: Home range; Mesomammal; Marsupial; Spatial ecology; Telemetry

SREL Reprint #3763

Hill, J. E., D. A. Bernasconi, R. B. Chipman, A. T. Gilbert, J. C. Beasley, O. E. Rhodes Jr., and G. Dharmarajan. 2024. Home range and resource selection of Virginia opossums in the rural southeastern United States. Mammal Research 69:193-204.

This information was provided by the University of Georgia's Savannah River Ecology Laboratory (srel.uga.edu).