HOW DO OPOSSUMS TAKE CARE OF THEIR YOUNG AND HOW MANY CAN THEY HAVE - BIOLOGY - 2025

The opossum can have up to 21 young and cares for them in the marsupial bag. It is an order of mammals that belongs to the marsupial family; the scientific name of this order is Didelfimorfos, although in general they are known like possums.

They are predominantly nocturnal and arboreal animals (their movement on the ground is clumsy and slow). They are characterized by their elongated snout, dense fur, prehensile tail and the presence, in females, of a pouch where they care for, feed and transport their young.

The size varies depending on the species of opossum. Generally speaking, they are around 60 centimeters tall and weigh about 5 kilograms. Their life expectancy is also variable, being in some species from two to three years and in others reaching up to eight.

They inhabit the entire Australian continent. They are also present throughout the American continent, from Canada to Argentina. Thanks to their adaptability, they are found in different habitats ranging from xerophilous scrub to tropical forests.

How do opossums take care of their young and how many can they have?

Opossums or possums reproduce in a sexual way. In mating season, females secrete odors that attract males.

Females have a bifurcated vagina that results in two ovaries, two uteri, and two uterine necks. During the sexual act, the male deposits sperm through a forked penis that attaches to the female's reproductive organ. This animal species reproduces between two and three times a year.

The gestation period of opossums is relatively short. It lasts from 11 to 13 days. Later the young will be born. Due to the lack of placenta, newborn opossums are about the size of a bee and are not fully developed.

Females can give birth to a variable number of young, ranging from 4 to 21 newborns that will immediately migrate to the pouch. There are the nipples, of which they will feed between 90 and 108 days.

The marsupium is the most striking feature of the marsupial family, which includes the opossum or opossum. It is an epidermal pouch made up of skin folds that line the nipples and breast organs.

It works as a safeguard and provides the necessary heat for the young to survive while nursing, since these, in such early stages of life, cannot regulate their body temperature by themselves.

Because the female only has about 13 nipples, the remaining young will not survive and will be expelled from the pouch.

First 15 days

As they grow, the young will develop fully. In the first 15 days of life, the hind legs develop and can voluntarily wag the tail.

First 17 days

At 17 days, the sexual organs become visible. Between 20 and 25 days, the hind legs acquire movement and after 30 days the growth of hair begins throughout the body.

50 days

By 50 days of age, the young will be about the size of a small mouse, will have developed short fur, and will begin to open their eyes and move their mouths at will.

70 days

When they reach 70 days, the pups have a longer and thicker coat, they will be able to open and close their mouth and eyes completely. 10 days later they will be larger, similar to that of a large rat and will have canines, incisors and premolars.

When they already have the dental apparatus developed, the young can begin to eat soft foods and some fruits.

At this point, the young will emerge from the pouch frequently and climb onto the mother's back, where they will spend the day while she hunts or forages. This will continue to occur until the young develop a size and weight that will prevent the mother from being able to carry them on her back.

From that moment, the young will enter the mature stage, will begin their sexual development at six or eight months of age and will be completely separated from the mother.

Finally, the young will have learned to hunt, to look for food such as fruits, insects and birds, among others. They will also learn how to fend for themselves in their habitat and will develop instincts and behaviors that will allow them to survive predators such as owls, snakes, and pumas.

More information about opossums

Possums or opossums can survive at different heights. Specimens have been found that inhabit areas above sea level and others that live at 3,000 meters.

Throughout the world they receive different names: In Colombia they are known as chuchas or faras, in Ecuador as raposas, in Mexico they are called opossums while in Guatemala they are known as tacuacines.

They are also known as foxes, guasalos, mucas, canchalucos, carachupas, weasels. In Brazil, they receive names derived from Portuguese, they are known as gambá, mucura or sarigué.

Its name in English is Opossum and the scientific name they receive is, depending on the species, Didelphis marsupialis and Didelphis virginiana.

They are omnivorous animals, so they feed on various sources such as fruits, insects, worms, birds, amphibians, eggs, cereals, blood, and even feed on human waste and garbage.

This great feeding capacity, together with strong muscled jaws, allows possums to survive in almost any habitat.

Possums or opossums are excellent climbers and spend much of their life in the trees. Their movements are faster and more graceful on trees because they have a prehensile tail, five fingers on each limb, and opposable thumbs on the hind legs.

Opossums are known for making predators believe they are dead. They drop their tongues, lower their vital signs to a minimum, and even their eyes turn glassy.

When the predator thinks that the opossum has died, it releases it and it is at that moment that the opossum or opossum takes the opportunity to flee.

References

1. Jessica Arcangeli. Department of Zoology, Institute of Biology, National Autonomous University of Mexico. P. 70-153. Coyoacán, CP 04510, México, D, F. Care for possum (Didelphis virginiana) joeys in captivity. Management of baby opossums (didelphis virginiaana) in captivity. (2014) Recovered from veterinaria.org.
2. National Geographic. Animals. Opossums. (2017) Recovered from nationalgeographic.com.
3. Alina Brandford. Live science contributor. Live Science. (September 20, 2016) Facts about the common Opossum. Recovered from livescience.com.
4. George Gaylord Simpson. American Museum Novitates. Published by The American Museum of Natural History. (October 30, 1974) Notes on Didelphidae (Mammalia, Marsupialia) from the Huayquerian (Pliocene) of Argentina.
5. Encyclopaedia Britannica. The editors Of Encyclopaedia Britannica. (January 18, 2016) Marsupial, mammal. Recovered from: britannica.com.
6. com (2017) Pouch (Marsupial) Recovered from: revolvy.com.
7. The National Opossum Society. (2015) Opossums. Recovered from: opossum.org.