South American marsupials in zoos

[DavidBrown]

Many zoos have some form of Australian marsupial, but to my knowledge I have never seen any of the South American marsupial species in zoos.

Are there any South American marsupial species exhibits in the zoos of the world? If so, what kind of exhibits are these species exhibited in?

 

[Jana]

I suppose they are not a favourite zoo animal because they are not popular with general public and very short-lived.

The Plzen´s and Jihlava´s short tailed opossums were exhibited in a small terarium-like space. Plzen´s four-eyed opossums were housed in a similar way, just with a reversed day-night regime. Olomouc´s white-eared opossums live in a heated glass-fronted exhibit too.

 

[nanoboy]

I have eaten South American opossums , and I suspect that there must be some in South American and Caribbean zoos.

 

[Spixii]

the Dallas world aquarium housed yapok for a number of years in a nocturnal exhibit, with fish, turtles, and underwater viewing. The terrestrial part of it was so lushly planted that you couldnt see the animal.

 

[Hvedekorn]

As far as I'm concerned, even Virginia opossums are very rare overseas. In Europe, according to Zootierliste, only three Danish zoos keep them (and I'm not even sure Ree Park has them anymore, since they got them more than three years ago, and as far as I know, they don't even get much older than three years). Not sure about Asia and Australia.

 

[Jana]

The Olomouc´s white-eared opossums are breeding, currently with 11 youngs from the last litter plus still some almost half-year old ones.

If no zoo is interested, they´ll probably go to private keepers. The parents originate from Paraguay.

Pic is not mine, credit to the author.

 

[Hix]

I recall seeing a label for four-eyed opossums in a zoo either in the States or Europe back in the 80's, but can't remember where.



Hix

 

[Dassie rat]

Zootierliste lists short-tailed opossums at Plzen. Ekaterinburg and Moscow and white-bellied opossums at Olomouc and Seville. There were various South American opossums at other European zoos. I remember seeing short-tailed and four-eyed opossums at London Zoo, but that was a long time ago.

I would like to see more South American marsupials, especially yapoks, shrew opossums and colocolos, but I suspect that, unless they feature in a film, there isn't much chance of this happening.

 

[zooboy28]

I suppose they are not a favourite zoo animal because they are not popular with general public and very short-lived.

The Plzen´s and Jihlava´s short tailed opossums were exhibited in a small terarium-like space. Plzen´s four-eyed opossums were housed in a similar way, just with a reversed day-night regime. Olomouc´s white-eared opossums live in a heated glass-fronted exhibit too.

Does Plzen exhibit these marsupials, or are they held off-display? If thye are displayed, where abouts are they?

 

[Giant Eland]

This is a group of mammals I take extra joy in seeing new species of, considering how rarely they're exhibited! I'll be visiting South America next month, and I hope to see the following species for the first time:

1.) Caluromys philander (Sao Paulo)
Bare-tailed woolly opossum
2.) Didelphis albiventris (Buenosair)
White-eared opossum
3.) Didelphis marsupialis (Sao Paulo)
Southern opossum
4.) Lestodelphys halli (Temaiken)
Patagonian opossum
5.) Lutreolina crassicaudata (Zoo Batan)
Lutrine opossum

Some of this information I grabbed off ISIS in late 2011, so not sure how updated it is.

Elsewhere I've seen:
1.) Virginia Opossum in my backyard, among other places.
2.) Gray Four-eyed Opossum at the Plzen Zoo (looks like no longer as of 2012)
3.) Gray Short-tailed Opossum at the Louisville Zoo, KY
4.) Northern Red-sided Opossum at the Cincinnati Zoo, OH
5.) Yapok at the Dallas World Aquarium, TX (This thread inspired me to post my Yapok photos http://www.zoochat.com/559/dallas-world-aquarium-2010-a-305559/


Isis had incorrectly listed the following 2 species:
1.) Ihering's Three-striped Opossum at Wildlife World, AZ
2.) Elegant Fat-tailed Mouse Opossum at Omaha's Henry Doorly Zoo, NE

So I was pretty let down. Not sure if/when these places used to have these species.