Little Water Opossum

The big lutrine opossum ("lutrine" means "otter-like" and "crass" meaning "thick, fat" and "cauda" meaning "tail") is a very peculiar opossum, having a long weasel-like body, short legs, small rounded ears, and dense reddish or yellowish fur. Nocturnal and crepuscular, they generally live in grasslands and savannas near water. They are terrestrial but are excellent swimmers and climbers.

The big lutrine opossum is distributed in Brazil, Argentina, Bolivia, Uruguay, Paraguay, Colombia and Guyana. Populations in the two last countries are isolated from the populations of all the other countries. It can be found in grasslands, savanna grassland, and gallery woodlands with permanent water bodies, in marshy or riparian habitats.

The big lutrine opossum builds tight nests made of grass and reeds or utilize abandoned armadillo or viscacha burrows.

Diet. With a skull adapted for carnivory, the big lutrine opossum is carnivorous and insectivorous feeding on small rodents and lagomorphs, birds, insects, small crustaceans. It is considered to be the most carnivorous of all the members of the order Didelphimorphia. It preys on venomous snakes. Captive individuals have been observed eating butterfish mixed with meat, frogs, earthworms, shrimp and mice. Big lutrine opossums living close to urban areas scavenge through garbage, but this behavior is isolated and likely occurs due to necessity because there is less available prey in urban areas.

Reproduction. Breeding begins in September and carries on until April followed by approximately five months of anestrous, or time without estrus. Big lutrine opossums have two breeding periods per year resulting in litters of 7–11 offspring. Like most marsupials, litters are born into a pouch and are fed via lactation until the offspring is developed enough to leave the pouch. Gestation lasts approximately two weeks and young are weaned off mother's milk at around three months. The first litter is born in September and the second in December or January. …