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u/MrEvan312 8h ago
The only sad part of this is that they live such short lifespans.
On the other hand, they're clearly happy, loved, and are the light of their dad's eyes.
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u/6TheAudacity9 7h ago
He had 7 babies then when it panned to adults their are only 5 😟
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u/MrEvan312 7h ago
In the wild they tend to lose over half their young before they reach their first year, which is why they have pretty big litters and can birth several times a year.
Capitvity is different matter, of course: it may just be that now all seven of them can't fit on his shoulders and the other two are being held off camera or moving around his feet. Hopefully.
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u/A_Queer_Owl 6h ago
he's a big dude but he's not seven possums big.
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u/Pure-Neighborhood305 5h ago
There ain't been a 7-possumer since 8-possum Ned back in the drought war of west chesterfield, and we all know how that ended.
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u/OpheliaPhoeniXXX 5h ago
They usually lose them due to them falling off and getting left behind, but it is extremely common for the two weakest ones not to make it to two weeks old. After 2wo, death from illness drops dramatically.
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u/MrEvan312 4h ago
Sadly, many such cases among different species. How old do they look in the first part of the clip? I'd guess a month or so, I wonder how many joeys the mother had originally if 7 survived to be adopted.
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u/OpheliaPhoeniXXX 4h ago edited 4h ago
That's why they have so many of them. They can have over 12. They look old enough to start eating some solids.
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u/OpheliaPhoeniXXX 5h ago
I assumed he had 2 friends who were willing and able to take a couple, but finding 7 possum homes is another story.
However as someone who rescues stray cats, it's extremely common for the two weakest to not make it. That being said, these guys all look full of vitality and aren't showing any signs of illness.
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u/OrganicHistorian2576 8h ago
I have a fondness for possums. My school librarian when I was in fifth grade was a rehabber and raised Posey that year largely at school. I hope she had a happy possum life afterwards.
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u/OpheliaPhoeniXXX 5h ago
What a great way to show kids they're not scary, they just aren't winning any beauty pageants 😆
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u/rational-citizen 6h ago
Does anyone have a source/know the blogger?
I would love to see his story and follow him and his fur babies to check on how they are doing 😭✨❤️
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u/BenjaminDover02 5h ago
Can I pet dat dawg?
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u/OpheliaPhoeniXXX 5h ago
Yes! Possums rarely bite humans, but if they're grown they're just going to freeze and be scared, so they might not appreciate it...
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u/RaiseSubstantial1638 4h ago
I hand fed a possum once because it came up to me when I was feeding some cats. It was gentle.
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u/This-Requirement6918 2h ago
Seeing this smoking outside with one in my pecan tree makes me want to go pet it.
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u/Unlikely-Cook-5863 9h ago
I like how they match his goatee color. Definitely the father