Reproduction:
Females begin to breed at the age of one year. Hollows, cavities in the soil under buildings serve as a refuge; can make nests in garbage. In her mouth and on her crocheted tail, the female brings dry leaves and plant remains to build a nest. In the north, common possums have one brood, in the southern part of the range - two broods per year. The brood consists of 8-18 opossum babies at first. After leaving the bag, usually no more than 7 baby possums remain. Newborns weigh about 2 mg, 20 of these babies fit freely in a teaspoon. With the help of well-developed claws on the front legs, they climb into the mother's pouch. After two months, their hair appears and their eyes open. Having attached to the nipples, they hang on them for 65-70 days, then begin to move independently and eat solid food. The female carries young cubs on herself. The possum baby climbs on the back and sides of the mother, clinging to her fur. The female can have the next brood in 3.5 months after the previous one. The life expectancy in the wild for most species is less than 2 years. In captivity, they can live for more than 7 years.
What are harmful:
Opossums tend to avoid conflict, although they have a natural defense mechanism that allows them to play dead when faced with potential predators. While the general consensus is that possums carry rabies, testing has shown that possums are extremely unlikely to contract the disease. Animals have a lower body temperature than many other animals, which allows them to remain resistant to many diseases.
