Opossum Mom and Baby

We see lots of wildlife in our area, but never have I seen a baby possum riding on his mommy's back while she chowed down on our cat food. She had at least three more tucked away in her pouch that periodically fell out and climbed back in. Gotta love that! WIldlife right at the back door!

As a marsupial, the opossum has a reproductive system including a divided uterus and marsupium, which is the pouch. Opposums do possess a placenta, but it is short-lived, simple in structure, and, unlike that of placental mammals, is not fully functional. The young are therefore born at a very early stage, although the gestation period is similar to many other small marsupials, at only 12 to 14 days. Once born, the offspring must find their way into the marsupium to hold onto and nurse from a teat.