1. For animal species inhabiting heterogeneous landscapes, the tortuosity of the dispersal path is a key determinant of the success in locating habitat patches. Path tortuosity within and beyond perceptual range must differ, and may be differently affected by intrinsic attributes of individuals and extrinsic environmental factors. Understanding how these factors interact to determine path tortuosity allows more accurate inference of successful movements between habitat patches.

2. We experimentally determined the effects of intrinsic (body mass and species identity) and extrinsic factors (distance to nearest forest fragment and matrix type) on the tortuosity of movements of three forest‐dwelling didelphid marsupials, in a fragmented landscape of the Atlantic Forest, Brazil.

3. A total of 202 individuals were captured in forest fragments and released in three unsuitable matrix types (mowed pasture, abandoned pasture …