Brazilian gracile opossum habitats than more purely arboreal animals. It has also been found in artificial plantations. There are no recognised subspecies. Brazilian gracile opossums are arboreal and nocturnal, spending the day nesting in tree hollows. They are solitary animals, with each individual inhabiting a home range of anything from , depending on habitat. Males tend to have larger home ranges than females, presumably because, being larger, they require more food. The species is insectivorous, and is an opportunistic forager, not specialising in any particular kind of insect. Individuals have also been reported to eat some spiders, snails, and even fruit (including passionfruit).
Arboreal locomotion type of grip depends upon the angle of the frictional force, thus upon the diameter of the branch, with larger branches resulting in reduced gripping ability. Animals other than primates that use gripping in climbing include the chameleon, which has mitten-like grasping feet, and many birds that grip branches in perching or moving about. To control descent, especially down large diameter branches, some arboreal animals such as squirrels have evolved highly mobile ankle joints that permit rotating the foot into a 'reversed' posture. This allows the claws to hook into the rough surface of the bark, opposing the force of