Hey fridge! How do those opossums work a gain?

“i told you i was going to look it up!

The reproductive system of the opossum has fascinated many and has led to interesting folklore. It was once believed that the male opossum mated through the female opossum's nose. She then sneezed the young through her nose and into the pouch. Of course, this is not true. There are several reasons why this belief was held. One reason is that opossums are so small at birth it is difficult to witness the event. Observers had seen the female with an empty pouch one day. The next day she was seen with her nose in the pouch making sneezing sounds. Later, upon examination of the pouch, tiny embryos were found. Actually, the female opossum was either cleaning the pouch prior to the birth or licking the area to soothe her swollen teats. Another reason for this belief is the shape of the male opossum's #&%!$. It is bifurcated, like a 2 pronged fork. It was believed that the shape of the #&%!$ was a perfect fit for the female opossum's nose. This isn't true either. The female has an internal, bifurcated reproductive tract as well.

Opossum sperm are interesting? Sperm heads align and pair inside the male reproductive tract during sperm maturation. The sperm are ejaculated as pairs and remain paired inside the female reproductive tract until just prior to fertilization at which time the paired sperm separate into single spermatozoa. Why this fascinating process occurs and why it occurs only in the American marsupials and not the Australian marsupials is not completely understood The pairing of spermatozoa may increase sperm motility in the female reproductive tract and/or may help protect the sperm acrosomes during passage n the female tract.

The breeding season for the Virginia opossum can begin as early as December and continue through October with most infants born between the months of February and June. A female opossum may have 1-3 litters per year. During the mating season, the male attracts the female by making clicking sounds with his mouth.
The female opossum is a spontaneous ovulator with an estrous cycle of about 28 days. She is in estrus a short period, about 36 hours. This is the time mating can occur. Sperm, which has become paired in the male opossum's reproductive tract, will move through the lateral vaginal canals and become separate again in the female's tract. If fertilization occurs, the fertilized eggs move from the oviducts to the uteri where they will gestate for a short period before being delivered through the medial vagina or central birth canal.

11-13 days after mating over 20 infants may be born, although an average litter consists of 8-9 infants. The infants are so small at birth that 20 could fit into a teaspoon. Each of the hairless, embryonic-looking "pinkies" are no larger than the size of a bee or a dime and weigh approximately 0.13 grams. At birth, the infants must make a long and difficult journey from the birth canal into the pouch, latch onto a teat, and continue their development. The mother helps by licking the hair leading into the pouch, providing a moist path for the infants to follow.
The teat swells in the infant's mouth helping it to remain attached for about 2 months and providing a source of nutrition. On average, there are only 13 teats in the pouch and not all may be functional. If more infants are born than the number of functional teats available, the excess infants will not survive. Also, if only one individual attaches, milk production by the mother probably will not occur.

An average litter is 8-9 infants. Coick on the image to see an enlarged version.
infants with eyes closed

The young remain in the pouch for about 2 1/2 months and at around 55-70 days the eyes open. As they become too large to fit in the pouch, they climb onto the mother's back and are carried as she searches for food. At this time the young are learning survival skills such as finding food sources and predator avoidance. If one of the young becomes separated from its mother it will make sneezing sounds to call her. She, in turn, will make clicking sounds.

The young are weaned at approximately 3 months of age and are on their own at 4 1/2 - 5 months when they are approximately 7-9 inches long from nose to rump, excluding the tail. In a few months they will reproduce and continue the fascinating life cycle of the Virginia opossum.


Breeding season brings on two major consequences. First, males extending their range to search for mates are more subject to injury or death by cars, dogs and other predators. Second, females laden with young cannot run as fast and have to forage earlier in the evening and later in the morning. They risk exposing themselves to increased predation and more encounters with people, pets and cars with possible injurious or fatal consequences. Many times the mother does not survive these encounters and the young, usually found still alive in the pouch, ultimately wind up in the hands of wildlife rehabilitators.”

“this story made me hot”

“oh i'm sure it did...”

“FM, you have WAY WAY too much time on your hands. lol.”

“haha... i was off this whole afternoon so i thought i would actually see if opossums did it through the nose... and NOPE they don't!”

“Whats is said around the camp fire stays at the camp fire.”

“haha... alrighty, no more...”

“here's one for you mr MOON.
I am sending you a piece of bone from a coon. Old timers yousta make tooth picks with it! What bone is this? I am seriously sending you one too for breaking the rule about talk at the camp fire.

I'm sure somebody here knows what it is.”

“It concerns me more than a little that I actually know the answer to this.”

“i apologize for breaking the code of honor”

“I can't believe you fell for that man!!! Want to go Snipe Hunting now!!!!”

“Oh don't pull that spam! you believed him just as much as everyone else!”

“I'm a great actor my young friend!!!Remember...I was an Army Recruiter!!!!!”

“LOL. Spam, I can see you as an Army Recruiter. I'm sure you played the part well...You still have a militaryesq quality about you now :)

I think I mean that as a compliment...”

“Thank you!!!LOL!”

“yea FullMoon...don't you know that all car salesmen at one time have been processed by a Recruiter, and all young backpackers like yourself have been had by some ole timer on the trail. Want to go snipe hunting my man.”

“it's a possum pecker to pick your puss. Pretty good for them tight places between your teeth”

“That wasn't funny!!!





LOL!!!!”

““I'm a great actor my young friend!!!Remember...I was an Army Recruiter!!!!!”
Spam

You mean you were a lying sack of $#!&!”

“sadly, i believed him......lol....”

“Geobeet...You don't know me!!!”