The Laboratory Opossum (Monodelphis domestica) in Laboratory Research

Abstract

The South American gray short-tailed opossum, Monodelphis domestica, is a small (80-120 g), nocturnal marsupial native to Brazil and adjacent countries. It is docile, breeds readily in captivity, and produces large litters (typically 6-13). Since the first M. domestica were imported into the USA in 1978, efforts to develop this species as a laboratory marsupial have been highly successful (VandeBerg 1983, 1990). The standard laboratory diet is a commercial pelleted fox food provided ad libitum, and the animals are maintained in polycarbonate or polypropylene rodent cages under unremarkable conditions (VandeBerg 1990). This is the only marsupial species that has been produced in captivity in very large numbers, i.e., tens of thousands. Breeding colonies currently exist at academic and research institutions in Germany, the United Kingdom, Brazil, Australia, and at several locations in the USA. Because of its many advantageous characteristics as a laboratory animal and its economical production in captivity, M. domestica has become a prototype species for basic research on marsupial biology, in much the same way that the laboratory mouse is a prototype species for basic research on the biology of eutherian or placental mammals. Consequently, we now refer to M. domestica as the laboratory opossum.The status of M. domestica as a laboratory animal was reviewed by VandeBerg (1990). Much progress has been made since then, both in basic biological research with this species and in its development as an animal model for research on human diseases. The present review focuses on recent progress.