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Why do possum moms carry their babies on their back?

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04.16.2006 - This is one of the things that opossums are well-known for. A group of baby opossums clinging to the back of the mother opossum. read more

Opossums are marsupials. They carry their very tiny babies in the pouch while they are young and basically defenseless. The babies grow, and they grow fast. No longer fitting all of them in the pouch. A mother opossum can have up to 14 babies. Not all of them survive more than 1–2 weeks. read more

Opossums, known best for their ability to play dead when threatened, can have up to 20 babies, which are the size of a bumble bee when born and live in the mother's pouch. As the babies get older they like to ride on the mother's back as she goes out to hunt, or scavenge through neighborhood bins. read more

They've got large pouches, so when they give birth to broods of 20 or so babies, the young remain inside for up to four months. Once large enough, the young opossums will venture outside and clutch onto their mother's fur as she scavenges for food. read more

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Viral Photo of Baby Possums Teaches a Lifesaving Message ...
Source: peta.org