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  • Virginia opossum stable isotope data

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    Creator:
    Walsh, Lisa L
    Description:
    Stable isotope values of carbon (δ13C) and nitrogen (δ15N) from Virginia opossum (Didelphis virginiana) guard hairs were analyzed to evaluate the ecology and winter adaptations in opossums by Dr. Lisa L. Walsh as part of her Ph.D. thesis in the Ecology and Evolutionary Biology Department. The collection of stable isotope data took place from 2017 to 2019. Guard hair was processed at the University of Michigan and analyzed by the University of New Mexico Center for Stable Isotopes (UNM-CSI, USA). Captive and wild opossums were evaluated for evidence of biannual or incomplete biannual molting, a mammalian adaptation to harsh winters. Results suggest opossums do not exhibit either winter molting strategy and that guard hairs capture the opossum’s lifetime diet (Walsh and Tucker 2021). The stable isotope values were used to test the hypothesis that a Type A generalist’s niche is positively correlated with habitat heterogeneity and to evaluate which climate variables best explained isotope values. There was a positive correlation between isotopic niche size and habitat-diversity indexes (Walsh and Tucker 2020). The δ13C values from opossums in the Midwest and Northeast to test whether opossums rely on anthropogenic trash to survive extreme winters. There was no significant relationship between δ13C and winter variables, but there was a significant increase in variance of Midwest opossums’ δ13C after the 1970 corn agricultural boom (Walsh and Tucker 2023).
    Keyword:
    stable isotope, Virginia opossum, mesopredator, ecology, and mammal
    Citation to related publication:
    Walsh, L.L. and P.K. Tucker. 2020. Habitat heterogeneity is correlated with isotopic niche breadth across the range of a mammalian generalist mesopredator. Ecosphere, 11(12): e03314.  https://doi.org/10.1002/ecs2.3314, Walsh, L.L. and P.K. Tucker. 2021. Stable isotope values suggest opossums (Didelphis virginiana) at their northern edge do not seasonally molt. Northeastern Naturalist, 28(1): 1-8.  https://doi.org/10.1656/045.028.0101, and Walsh, L.L., and P.K. Tucker. 2023. Evaluating anthropogenic influence on a mesopredator: Opossum (Didelphis virginiana) isotope values influenced by corn agriculture more than urbanization. Canadian Journal of Zoology, 101:  https://doi.org/10.1139/cjz-2021-0172.
    Discipline:
    Science