Baby opossum feeding

Care of Orphaned Opossums | Loyola University Center for Environmental Communication

OPOSSUMS: RAISING FOR RELEASE

by Sharon Alonzo

The early spring brings the arrival of many baby opossums (Didelphis marsupialis), Louisiana’s only native marsupial. The young can be quite successfully raised and released into the wild when older. Release dates vary but it is best to release animals before the onset of colder weather since they will have to learn to find some kind of place to call home and acquaint themselves with the stock of food available. At their release the siblings will not band together but go off as single individuals.

The orphaned young are often times found in the mother’s pouch after the animal has been killed. It seems that the young can live for a short while in the pouch of the dead mother.

Some of the things to keep in mind when raising young are: 1) to keep the young animal warm by using a heating pad under their box, cardboard boxes are suggested, 2) provide some soft nesting material, cloth or straw, 3) provide darkness for these animals, since the babies will cover themselves up anyway. These animals are nocturnal, therefore, quiet and darkness are comfortable for them.

The young are noiseless except for a pronounced hiss when threatened or startled. The very young animals rarely move around unless disturbed. Older animals are active at night and even cardboard boxes can be escaped from.

Feeding: Determine whether your orphan can lap up liquids or if they need to be fed by the bottle. A pet nurser purchased from the pet store, a syringe, or an eyedropper may be used. If animals are sick use separate utensils for each animal. Young opossums may be fed Esbelac, (dilute 1 to 3 with water), whole milk, (dilute 1 to 1 with water), or infant formula, (dilute 1 to 1 with water). Esbelac is recommended and is purchased from the pet store. Babies need to be fed at least six times a day, decreasing feeding as the animal get older. Usually when the animals are unusually hungry they move around restlessly. Otherwise they remain snuggled together.

After feedings each animal needs to be stimulated to urinate. This is accomplished by stimulating the urogenital area, which includes the urethra opening and the anus, with a damp rag, towel, or paper towel. The animal must urinate. This stimulation is the same type given by mother kittens to their newborns. Often times fecal matter is expelled at this time so be prepared. Individuals animals differ, some animals are easier to stimulate before being fed, others after. Some do not urinate more than once or twice a day, but they must urinate at some point. When the animal is urinating on its own, usually by the time it is lapping milk, the process can be discontinued. Some clues as to when to stop the external stimulation are damp bedding and dirty paper ont he bottom of the box or cage.

When the opossums have the lapping reflex use a metal or plastic lid of a jar to put liquid food in their box or cage. Feedings can be decreased to two or three times a day but be sure all has had enough. Rice cereal and formula may be mixed into a gruel like liquid to give the opossums next. Then apples or bananas may be added to the rice cereal mixture gradually using less milk. Soon cereal may be thinned with water, fruits can be mashed separately and even mashed vegetables can be introduced. Teeth can come in very quickly at this time. This is also a time of increased night activity so beware that extra security is need for their box or cage.

After the introduction of fruits you can try moistened dry puppy food, gradually getting the older animal to a diet of puppy food and fruits and vegetables. I have found that the opossums I have raised will virtually eat anything but successful introduction into the wild can never be accomplished unless they will eat native berries and fruits. Always supply water to the animals. However, be aware that a small animal could drown in a bowl which he could not get out of. Decrease feedings to once a day in the evening. This sets them up to look for food and dusk and mimics their expected evening foraging.

I suggest a move of the animals outside where they can experience the smells and sound of the outdoors, as well as the correct temperature for an anticipated release. A cage with a screen bottom will allow droppings to fall from the cage and is recommended. Provide an overturned flowerpot, some bedding material some branches and water for their outside cage. Also, this is a great opportunity to see the animals at their most active. Take time out at night to view their foraging and climbing, and restless nocturnal activity. These otherwise sluggish critters really expend energy at night.

Since the object of raising wild animals is toward that of a successful release once off the bottle as little handling and contact is beneficial. Larger animals have very sharp teeth, a powerful jaw and never reach a docile stage.

Pests and diseases are few. Listed here are the ones that we have encountered: ticks, fleas, mites, and mange in a few animals, are the main external problems. Internal parasites exist and the only other problem encountered was a tendency toward a prolapsed rectum (protruding rectal tissue) which was cleaned up when the animal was given Pepto Bismol.

Please remember, at all times, that you are raising this orphan to return it to the wild. It is easy to become attached to the animal and to convince yourself that it will make a good pet. It is illegal to keep an opossum; these animals are much better off in the wild; and they often start to bite once they mature.

Caring for Baby Opossums - Exotic Nutrition

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Keep Them Warm & Hydrated

The first thing you need to do is make sure babies are warmed up before trying to feed them anything. You can do this by wrapping them in t-shirt material or fleece (don’t use towels because they may get caught on the loops) and putting a heating pad on low underneath one side of their enclosure. You can also use a plastic water bottle filled with hot water and wrapped in a cloth, or a sock filled with rice and microwaved. Then, before feeding formula, you need to make sure they’re hydrated. Start by giving them diluted, unflavored Pedialyte for 12-24 hours before attempting to feed them anything else.

Formula

After they’ve been properly hydrated, you can begin giving them diluted formula and then slowly move up to regular strength over the next few days so they can adjust to the food. For infants under 40 grams, make the formula with 1 part formula to 5 parts water and slowly work them up to 1 part formula to 2 parts water. For very small babies, use 1 part formula to 10 parts water.

To make the formula, you will need:

Bottled Spring Water
Goat’s Milk Esbilac Puppy Formula
Calcium Glubionate Syrup
Boiled egg yolk or powdered egg yolk
Brewer’s Yeast
Unsweetened apple juice
Nutrical
Lactaid

Mix 1/3 Esbilac formula and 1 cup spring water for regular strength formula. Add 200 mg of Calcium Glubionate Syrup, ½ medium boiled egg yolk (or powdered egg yolk for a smoother formula), 1/2 tsp powdered brewer’s yeast, 2 tsp unsweetened apple juice, 1 tsp of Nutrical, and Lactaid (use the directions on the bottle to mix the right amount for the amount of formula you’re making). Make sure to refrigerate the prepared formula for 12 hours before feeding it so the Lactaid works properly.

Use the following chart to determine how much and how often to feed your opossum based on their weight:

Weight	Amount	Frequency
10 g	.5 ml	Every 2-3 hrs
15 g	.75 ml	Every 2-3 hrs
20 g	1 ml	Every 2-3 hrs
25 g	1. 25 ml	Every 2-3 hrs
30 g	1.5 ml	Every 2-3 hrs
35 g	1.75 ml	Every 2-3 hrs
40 g	2 ml	Every 4 hrs
45 g	2.25 ml	Every 4 hrs
50 g	2.5 ml	Every 4 hrs
55 g	2.75 ml	Every 4 hrs
60 g	3 ml	Every 6 hrs
65 g	3. 25 ml	Every 6 hrs
70 g	3.5 ml	Every 6 hrs
75 g	4 ml	Every 6 hrs
80 - 85 g	4.25 ml	Every 6 hrs
90 g	4.5 ml	Every 6 hrs
95 g	4.75 ml	Every 6 hrs
100 g	5 ml	Every 6 hrs

Feeding & Elimination

Young babies will not be able to feed themselves, so it’s best to feed them by using a dropper or syringe. Once they are able to lap up food themselves (usually once they’re 40-50 g), you can give them a shallow bowl of formula to encourage self-feeding. They will be messy at this stage, so make sure to do this in an area that can be easily cleaned.

You will also need to stimulate them to eliminate waste, as they are unable to do this on their own as babies. You can do this either before or after feeding, by using a warm wet cotton ball to gently stroke the genital area towards the tail until urine or feces is produced. Keep doing so until they are completely done. This action simulates the mother’s tongue, and is very important for preventing a ruptured bladder.

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Possum - photo, species, description, habitat, food, reproduction

Currently, the modern fauna includes several species of opossums, but most of them died out during evolution. However, even after most of these marsupials disappeared, some opossums still adapted to new conditions and are currently a thriving species. Currently, their population is mainly concentrated on the American continent, in its northern and southern parts. Interestingly, in some species, the leather bag has lost its functionality in the course of evolution.

Description

The opossum is a small marsupial mammal similar in appearance to the rodent . The first representatives of this species appeared in the Cretaceous period, that is, about 100 million years ago, and have not changed significantly since then.

This is interesting! The size of an adult male reaches 60 cm, females are slightly smaller, about 50-55 cm. This applies to the largest species, smaller varieties can be 15-20 centimeters and weighing from 50 grams to 2 kilograms.

The muzzle of these animals is elongated, the tail is usually not covered with hair, with a fat thickening at the base, and it has a purely practical purpose: with the help of it, the animal grabs branches when moving through trees, and holds on to them during daytime sleep . The body of the opossum is covered with short, thick, dense fur. Its color is very diverse and can be from light to black, it all depends on the habitat and species. The front paws are much more developed than the hind ones; at the ends of the paws there are 5 sharp claws each.

All opossums are active at night, sleeping in trees or in burrows during the day. The structure of the jaws speaks of the primitiveness of the possum, they have 50 teeth, of which 4 canines. The life expectancy of an opossum in the wild reaches up to 5 years, in captivity with proper care and diet up to 7 years or more. The defense mechanism of these animals is very interesting and deserves special attention. By nature, the opossum is very shy and, in case of danger, it pretends to be dead, lying motionless, and with the help of special glands it emits an unpleasant odor resembling the smell of a decaying body. The predator, having sniffed it, most often leaves. After that, the animal instantly "comes to life" and runs away. It must be said that such tactics bring great success for the survival of the species. More these animals - noble dormouse , they can sleep up to 19 hours a day.

Habitat

According to scientists, in prehistoric times, these animals were very widespread throughout modern Europe, this is evidenced by the excavations of paleontologists. Possums are currently thriving in the New World . Glaciers and the associated cooling of the climate affected these territories less than Europe. Possums are most common in North and South America, Argentina, but recently they have been actively developing more northern territories. They also live in southeastern Canada and the Lesser Antilles.

Opossums live in forests of all types, steppes and even semi-deserts. They can be found both in flat areas and in mountainous areas at altitudes up to 4000 meters. There are species that lead a semi-aquatic lifestyle, settling near water bodies, building holes in tree hollows. But most of them still lead an arboreal or terrestrial lifestyle.

This is interesting! There are opossums that settle near human habitation, but most often avoid communication with people.

Diet

Opossums are omnivorous animals in their diet . They feed on insects, various roots, fruits and berries, less often they can go on a real hunt, but this is more typical for large species. Lizards, rodents such as mice, rats and even rabbits can act as hunting objects.

In general, nutrition depends on the type of opossum and their living conditions. There are even water possums, they feed mainly on fish, sometimes they can hunt frogs and small water snakes. In times of famine, cases of cannibalism are not uncommon. These animals have a good appetite, but it's not their gluttony, it's just that opossums in this way create reserves of fat for "difficult" times.

If you keep an animal as a pet, you can feed it fruits, vegetables, chicken and eggs. In rare cases, you can give food intended for cats, but this should not be abused.

Reproduction

Opossum leads a solitary lifestyle . However, during the mating period, they form a pair, but this does not last long. After the end of the mating season, which lasts from December to January, the animals disperse again. Opossums are very prolific animals. Pregnancy in females is very short and lasts only 20-25 days, in small species pregnancy can last only 15 days, from 8 to 15 cubs are born in the litter, in rare cases their number can reach up to 25. The cubs are born completely unadapted to life, more like embryos, their size is about the size of a bee and weighs from 2 to 5 grams.

That's interesting! The period of feeding offspring with milk is quite long and lasts up to 100 days. During this time, small opossums are actively developing and gaining weight. After about 2 months, they gradually become covered with hair and their eyes open.

After that, they can switch to adult food. Sexual maturity occurs at 6-8 months in both females and males. Some types of opossums carry their offspring in a pouch, but most do not have one, and therefore the females carry the cubs on their backs.

Types of opossums

Here are some of the most common types of opossums. All of them are different in lifestyle, size, diet and habitats.

Common opossum

The most famous of all. This is a rather large species of this animal, it can reach the size of a domestic cat and weigh up to 6 kilograms. But as a rule, the usual weight is 4.5-5 kilograms. It inhabits forests, mainly near water bodies. It feeds on cereals, small lizards, insects, mushrooms. They rarely eat carrion.

Verginsky opossum

Also quite a large animal weighing up to 6 kilograms. Most often inhabits moist forests, but can also be found in the prairies. It feeds on small rodents, birds, destroys nests. Can successfully attack young rabbits.

Water opossum

Leads an aquatic lifestyle. It feeds on fish, crayfish and freshwater shrimp, sometimes eating fruits. It catches food with its front paws afloat. Unlike other species, these possums give birth to quite a few cubs, from 1 to 6, while others have from 8 to 20 babies.

Mouse opossum

This is a small animal up to 15 centimeters in size. It lives in mountain forests at altitudes up to 2500 meters. It feeds on insects, fruits and bird eggs. There are up to 12 cubs in a litter.

Gray possum

This is a very small species. The body length reaches 12-16 centimeters, and the weight is up to 120 grams. They live on plains, mostly in low and dense grass. Often settles near human habitation.

Patagonian opossum. Also a small species of opossum, its body reaches a length of 13-15 centimeters, and its weight is only 50 grams. It feeds mainly on insects, less often on small birds or lizards.

Interesting facts

Opossums are very shy animals . In any danger, they run away or pretend to be dead, so it is not easy to catch them. But scientists have found a way out: it turned out that these animals have a craving for alcohol. To catch a possum, you just need to place saucers with an alcoholic drink on the paths of the animals. They will drink it with great pleasure and, having lost the ability to move, they can be safely collected.

Of all the senses, according to scientists, these animals have the most developed sense of smell. Another interesting fact is that they almost do not make sounds, except when they are in pain.

That's interesting! Almost all types of opossums are vagrant animals and do not have their own fixed territory in which they hunt, as is the case with other animals.

These animals are often used as pets, although in our country it is exotic, as they are quite capricious in keeping. In addition, possum fur is used as a material for making clothes and fashion accessories. True, it does not differ in quality and durability and, in this regard, is not popular.

Possum as a pet

Possum can be kept at home as a pet. But fans of the exotic should be disappointed. These are nocturnal animals and it will be very difficult to accustom them to the daily routine of a person. It should be fed with fresh food: fruits, chicken, insects, worms. It is strictly forbidden to give fatty meat, from this they can get sick. If you have a couple of possums, then they need to be kept in separate cages, otherwise fights and conflicts are inevitable. In no case should you punish opossums, as they can seriously bite.

Tags: Vergina opossum, water opossum, wild animals, mouse opossum, common opossum, opossum, Patagonian opossum, gray tailed opossum

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How to "play possum"? | Animals

Moreover, during the entire time of their existence (beginning from the Cretaceous period - the era of dinosaurs), opossums even outwardly almost did not change. The same rat-like appearance, disheveled fur, bare pink paws, ears and tail, and a wide mouth with sharp teeth. Like rats, possums are tenacious, cunning, and thieving creatures. Suffice it to recall the desperate and impudent brothers - Crash and Eddie - from the film "Ice Age-2". Opossums are practically omnivorous - their diet includes fruits, worms, insects, frogs, even chicks. Those of us who are not particularly squeamish may find that the meat of the opossum itself is quite edible.

Mine Reed "The Headless Horseman":
"Damn it, you're a black man! Next time, Pluto, when I wander into these parts, I will give you an opossum with meat as tender as that of a two-year-old chicken.

But one quality of this animal deserves special attention. In the vocabulary of Americans, you can find the expression: "Stop playing possum", which in our opinion sounds like "Stop pretending to be a felt boot, pretending."

The fact is that when the animal is in immediate danger (like being attacked by a dog), it often uses a proven technique - it pretends to be a corpse. At the same time, he pretends to be very convincing: his eyes turn glassy, his tongue falls out, foam flows from his mouth, and an unpleasant smell flows from the anal glands. Scientists are still guessing - what is it: a skillful "acting" game or a stressful state of catalepsy, in which even the heartbeat slows down?

It is said that if necessary, the opossum can imitate the finale of Hamlet for up to several hours. As soon as the danger disappears, the animal begins to “come to life” - it turns over, carefully looks around with its black eyes, after which it gives a goose.

P. G. Wodehouse “Keep it up, Jeeves!”:
“One of the great lessons of life is that when a man hears a fight between two females, a man should go into a corner and curl up in a ball, better yet, use the clever tactics of the possum, who pretends to be dead as soon as the air smells of fried, and sometimes goes so far as to gather around his friends and make them lament over his body.

D. Harris "Uncle Remus Tales":
"- Tell stories, Possum Brer. As the dog touched you, you immediately tumbled and pretended to be dead.

— So I tell you, Brother Raccoon, that it is not at all from fear. There is only one thing I am afraid of in the world - it is tickling. And when this dog poked its nose into my ribs, I laughed, and the laughter made me laugh so much that I couldn’t move my hand or foot! Of course, it's her luck that I'm ticklish, otherwise a minute more and I would have torn her to shreds. I'm not afraid of any fight, Brother Raccoon, but tickling is another matter. I agree to fight with anyone, but only - mind you - without tickling.

F. Krivin:
“The opossum pretends to be dead so cleverly that he even falls from a tree and can no longer tell whether he is dead or alive.

What do you think, is it so easy to figure it out? When you've been faking all your life, all you know is that you're faking, how can you say with certainty - are you a possum or no longer a possum?

Since Australia was discovered much later than America, it was the opossum that became the first marsupial that European civilization met. The Columbus expedition delivered an unusual animal directly to the royal palace. The Spanish monarchs - Ferdinand and Isabella - personally made sure that the female opossum had a bag and did not even disdain to put their hand in it.

Ciez de León Chronicle of Peru, 1553:
“…there were seven cubs near her, and as she heard a noise, she opened the bag placed by nature on her own abdomen, and she gathered the cubs very quickly, running away with great agility, so that I was afraid for her existence - being so small, to run with such a burden - and still run away. They call this animal Chucha.

As in the case of kangaroos, for a long time people could not believe that tiny premature opossum cubs are born in the usual way - from the genital opening, and only then get to the pouch. Among the local residents of America, there was even a belief about the "immaculate conception" of these animals - they say, the male and female simply rub their noses, after which the embryos immediately grow in the bag directly from the nipples.

In fact, premature opossums do the same marathon as kangaroos - clinging to the wool, crawling from the birthplace to the feeding area. There are only thirteen nipples in the bag, so if more cubs are born, only the thirteen most agile get the right to live.

When the cubs grow up, they leave the pouch, but at the same time they do not leave their mother for a long time. The kids just ride it like a tram, clutching the wool with their paws (and the paws of possums are very dexterous, similar to a human hand).

D. Attenborough Life on Earth:
“In the early 18th century, a famous painting appeared in Europe depicting a female South American opossum with cubs, whose tails are neatly wrapped around the outstretched tail of the mother. The picture was copied many times, each time making changes, until, in the end, it turned out that the mother lifted her tail over her back, and the babies hang from it in a row on their tails, like passengers on a tram. When stuffed possums began to be stuffed in museums, then, naturally, they consulted from books and gave the exhibits just such a peculiar position, which further supported the widespread version. But this is just a fairy tale, of which many are told about these extraordinary creatures.

Possum tails are indeed prehensile, but not as prehensile as people think. The cubs can still hang on one tail for some time, but it is not so easy for grown-up adults to do this, so they use the tail as a useful bonus.

It must be said that when describing opossums, I was guided mainly by a portrait of one - the most common species - Virginian. But there are other types that are no less remarkable.

For example, the water opossum, or swimmer, is the only marsupial adapted to an aquatic lifestyle (it is not for nothing that its hind legs are webbed). Even a female swims with a bag full of cubs. True, the bag is special - able to "tighten" with the help of a special muscle.

Even more original is the woolly opossum. The fact is that this marsupial bag just doesn’t have it. Underdeveloped cubs (namely, this is the main property of the marsupial order) simply hang on the nipples, hidden in thick wool.

There are not only remarkable species among opossums, but also remarkable individuals. So, in 2010, a female Virginian opossum named Heidi received worldwide PR. This inhabitant of the Leipzig Zoo attracted the attention of people with her excellent ... squint. A photo of funny Heidi was distributed in newspapers and the Internet, and many even dedicated songs to her. Unfortunately, she did not enjoy fame for long. Heidi was already very old, and by 2011 she was also seriously ill. To prevent the animal from suffering, the zoo decided to euthanize it.