Until I started to volunteer at the Wildlife Rehab... and then I started to clean out their stinky cages. They are STINKY! But that is the only bad thing I can say about them. I find them quite amenable. They look like a big rat but they are actually marsupials; like koalas and kangaroos they have a pouch in which to carry their young.
I know they have more teeth than any other animal, but they are really quite harmless. They open their mouth to show them when a threat (in this case, US) approaches them. I totally understand that... I am always mindful that when we humans peer at or reach in for any of these creatures, it has to be akin to alien abduction for them. I'd personally be quite terrified, even if the giant hand and face was trying it's best to feed, comfort, medicate and heal me.. and make sure I have fresh sheets and that the temperature is just right, etc...
We use a baton to technically hold them back when changing the paper in their cages and putting in food, but I have never known one to snap or be aggressive. How many people call, having found one eating cat food in their garage, asking if they should shoot it! Um, no. Just take the food away, wait til they leave and shut your garage door more often. In fact, these harmless little guys eat most of the things people think are pests -- snakes, rats, even cockroaches. And they are less likely to carry rabies than you think. Only trained people should try to handle them however.
This really nice mama opossum let the vet tech pick her up so we could check on the babies, and I asked if I could quick snap a picture. The mother is only smiling that way because she's being grasped by the extra skin behind the neck (same place that cats pick up their young). It makes them look scary.
I found this fascinating: They have from 5 to 25 babies but only 13-15 teats (hopefully all working). Whomever gets there fastest wins a shot at life... survival of the fittest at work. They have to crawl about 2 inches from the birth canal to the pocket or marsupium (you can see this better below) and latch on to a teat for milk. There they stay for anywhere between 70-125 days. (See their little tails sticking out?). I expected to see a horizontal pouch slit, like kangaroos have, but the opossums is vertical. Isn't that amazing?
Once they are bigger, they stay by their mom for a while before going on their way. I got some training on how to feed the orphaned babies, which we are getting in at this time of year by the handful. I'll write about that once I actually do it. In the mean time I picked up this fella to get comfortable handling him and was amazed at how soft, warm and cute he was. (Cracks me up that he starts out holding on to his foot -watch for it below)So remember to be kind to and not afraid of opossums. And please do look out for them when you're driving at night!
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8 comments:
It's official you are the reincarnate of St. Francis...I must admit they are cute whilst tiny.
Oh my...they do sort of look like old Cornish Rex, lol. Thanks so much for the great pix, the pouch and the tails...too cute and very interesting!
This was fascinating, thanks for the great post!
Carol
Miss Kilpy-- So that means that you've seen them as grown ups outside somewhere? And they are not as cute. Adults do have a long naked tail that isn't their best accessory.
Teri-I hadn't seen many Rex's til I got on your blog! They are so cool.
Carol -- I'm so excited you visited I've been to your blog as well.
How incredible!! It was amazing to see the babies in the pouch. Last evening the husband and I were in the back yard, planting a vegetable garden. Once it got dark, we continued with the deck light, working on our potted plants, and this adult possum walking peacefully right by us! We just stopped and watched it go by, and it didn't seem like it noticed us though it was just about 3 feet away!
Sydney, yes I have seen them and been visited by them when they are full grown. They are not the sharpest tool in the shed and I hate to say anything more negative as you are always so wonderful but...the pouch is not placed in the best position is it? Wouldn't sideways keep the little sweeties in a little more secure? We had one in our attic once and it kept us awake for many days until we caught it in a very safe cage. At that point the thing made more noise than a poltergeist. The fellow that trapped him released him far away from our house.
Bindu -- that was an engrossing little tale -- I know, just a few simple sentences, but I fully imagined being there in your yard at dusk digging and planting the last of things, then finding it had grown darker and everyone being still as a grown opossum walked by! Pretty wild.
After never having seen one in my life, after working with them for the first time I was driving home and one popped out right in front of my car, from a Chilean BBQ restaurant parking lot onto the main drag, in the middle of the afternoon. Go figure...
Yep, you're right... they look like rats. We had a family of them in our back yard when living in Florida. We called and asked if someone would come pick them up and they said they would, but that this was there home and they should just be left alone. They were and eventually they were gone on their own. Fun to watch them forage for food.
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