- Before you take them home. ► If you find a dead or injured female possum on the road, check her pouch for infants. ...
- Caring for orphaned opossums. ► Use an eye dropper to feed them infant formula (Esbilac) or soy milk as soon as you get them home.
- Points to Remember. ►Possums are not the best of pets, they belong to the outdoors. ...
What do you feed a baby opossum?
One dish for drinking and one for defecating. 90% of diet: Premium dog food (soaked in water until the opossums are older). (Pour formula over it until babies are weaned) 5% of diet: Fruits and vegetables cut in dime to nickel size pieces. Any fruit or vegetable may be used.
How do you take care of an orphaned baby possum?
If you are taking care of orphaned possums, it is important to have fresh water available for them at all times. Also, feed them soy milk or a formula recommended by a vet. Feed the possum babies with a dropper dripping the liquid straight into their mouths. It is possible that small snakes can supplement a possum’s diet.
Are there any baby opossums that are orphaned?
A great many baby opossums are orphaned every year. As babies, they are cute in an awkward way and will respond to their caregiver with affection. They are still wild animals though. Individuals raising orphaned babies must not treat them as pets.
Can you feed a possum on its own?
The answer to this question depends on the age of the possum. A possum that is at least 7 inches long (from nose to tip of tail) is actually old enough to be on its own. If you want to feed a possum this age, you can give it water and diced fruits and veggies.
What to feed a possum?
If you want to feed a possum this age, you can give it water and diced fruits and veggies. Smaller Possum babies need to drink diluted, powdered formula, and when they get a little bigger, they can eat mashed fruits and vegies or baby food.
How to care for an orphaned possum?
Dr. Hines has been caring for orphaned possums for over 60 years. He says you will need a “1cc syringe with a short portion of medical silicone rubber tubing placed over the needle end” to feed and hydrate babies under 6 inches long.
How many babies do possums have?
Possum mothers carry their babies with them, so if a baby smaller than 7 inches is found that means it is orphaned. The mother usually has around 13 babies at a time, so she does not go looking for missing ones. The second scenario is much more unfortunate, and I am so sorry for anyone who has to experience this.
What temperature should a baby possum be?
Temperature. The first thing you will need to do is correct the babies body temperature. An adult possum’s body temperature is around 95.36 °F or 35.2 °C. Possum expert Dr. Ron Hines says the best initial heat source for the babies is a hot water bottle.
How to protect possums from possums?
Do not touch the possums with your bare hands. Use gloves or fabric as a barrier and to not touch your face until you have thoroughly washed your hands . If the babies are attached, wrap the mother in a towel, sheet, old t-shirt, or any other fabric.
How long are possums?
If you are reading at this point, your baby possum or possums are less than 7 inches long, their eyes are open, and they are safely wrapped in a cloth. It is very difficult to raise an orphaned wild possum, so again this should be your absolute last resort.
How to keep a baby alive?
The home for the babies needs to be warm and humid. You should get a plastic bin with a lid and poke air holes or get a terrarium from a local pet store (avoid the metal-mesh kind). Put old t-shirts, fabric, shredded newspaper, or paper towels in the bottom of their bin or terrarium. Use a commercial pet heating pad for warmth. Human heating pads, lamps, and light bulbs are too hot, unpredictable, and can be fire hazards, so DO NOT use these. You could cook the babies alive on accident because they are not old enough to move away when they get too hot. For humidity, place several damp sponges in a shallow dish and put the dish in the bin or terrarium.
What do opossums eat?
Opossums feed mostly on carrion. Other food sources for the Opossum include garbage, grass, leaves, insects, frogs, small birds and rodents, snakes, and earthworms.
How often are baby opossums orphaned?
A great many baby opossums are orphaned every year. As babies, they are cute in an awkward way and will respond to their caregiver with affection. They are still wild animals though. Individuals raising orphaned babies must not treat them as pets. A baby opossum should be raised with at least one other opossum of similar age. This will aid in helping it revert to its true wild nature after being weaned. You must obtain permission from your county game warden to legally possess any wild animal even for a short period of time.
Why do opossum babies end up orphaned?
Most opossum babies end up orphaned, because their mother was hit by a car (their only real defense is to play dead...) or killed by dogs. So PLEASE, if you care and you happen to hit an opossum with your car - accidents happen - take a minute and make sure that there are no babies on the animal, because they usually survive a lot within momma's ...
How long should a baby eat chow?
The base chow (Science Diet) should be soaked in water to make it soft and easier to eat until they reach about 12 weeks of age when it can be offered dry. Formula should be poured over the soaked chow until the babies have been weaned from formula at 10 weeks of age. Two shallow dishes of water should be offered .
How long do opossums live?
Few live beyond the age of 1 year in the environment; rare reports of living 5 to 10 years in captivity. Killed by many predators: humans (and cars), dogs, cats, owls, and larger wildlife. Opossums are solitary nocturnal animals, but may become diurnal in cold weather.
How old do opossums have to be to be released?
Opossums should be ready for release at 20 to 22 weeks of age. Prior to release, your opossums should have been in a large outdoor cage for at least two weeks, preferably longer.
Where do opossums live?
Opossums inhabit the United States east of the Rocky Mountains, Central America, and Pacific coastal North America. The Virginia Opossum is the only marsupial found in the North America. In South America and Australia there are about 80 species of Opossums. Opossums lived during the era of dinosaurs - fossil remains have been found from 70 million years ago.
How to care for an orphaned opossum?
Caring for orphaned opossums. ► Use an eye dropper to feed them infant formula (Esbilac) or soy milk as soon as you get them home. Ensure that the milk is slightly warm, but not too much. Feed them water in the same manner.
How to keep possums warm?
You can place a hot water bottle within to keep them warm. Remember, too much heat is not good for them, so do not place them close to heat lamps. ► You will notice that the possum babies do not lick milk or water from a bowl or a spoon, as they are not mentally equipped to do so.
How many babies can a female possum have?
Mind you, this is a good way to determine the gender of the animal as well, since male possums do not have a pouch on their bellies. There can be up to 13 babies in a female’s pouch.
How long does it take a possum to regain consciousness?
The possum takes about 1 – 4 hours to regain consciousness. Would you like to write for us?
Do possums bite their mothers?
Being marsupials, possum babies have their mouths stuck to their mother’s teat, and it can be difficult to dislodge them. ► If you are unaware or are inexperienced with handling small animals, wear gloves while picking the injured animal, as it may get aggressive and try to bite you.
Is it easy to care for a baby possum?
As cute as they are to look at, baby possums are not too easy to care for. It involves a lot of delicate handling, patience, and a working knowledge of these marsupials. This AnimalSake article sheds some light on the dos and don’ts of looking after a baby possum. “ Playing possum ” is an involuntary reaction of a possum when it feels threatened.
Can possums be kept in captivity?
Possums are not to be kept in captivity for their own good. ► Remember that possums enter into our yards and houses with the intention of obtaining food. Therefore, it is prudent to keep the trash cans covered at all times. Also, do not leave pet food out for long, especially in the night.
How to protect opossum babies from heat?
Always protect the infants from being in direct contact with the heat source. Monitor the temperature frequently to make sure that the babies are just slightly warm to the touch. Young opossums, like other small mammals, need stimulation to eliminate. This is always true for pouch babies.
How to keep orphans warm?
It is CRITICAL that they be gently warmed. The easiest and safest way to do this is to wrap them in cloth and hold them against your body. Once they are no longer cold, they may be placed in a box, basket, or plastic container.
What to use to cover a baby box?
Layer cotton cloth or fleece in the bottom of the box. Do not use terry cloth because of the danger of the little threads getting wrapped around toes or tails. T-shirts, sweat shirts, or blankets cut to fit your container work great.The infants are placed on top of these layers, and covered with more layers of cloth.
Can an opossum be stimulated?
This is always true for pouch babies. Older opossums should also be manually stimulated, because, even if they would normally be able to eliminate on their own, when they get dehydrated they can retain both urine and bowel movements. It is much better to be safe than to watch an infant die from a ruptured bladder.
Why is opossum care so challenging?
The opossum as a biological organism is not forgiving of a poor diet–they WILL get sick, lose mobility, or die if they are fed inappropriately.
Where was the opossum study conducted?
The study was performed on road-killed opossums in and near Portland, Oregon. Another study conducted in New York State in 1951 analyzed the stomach contents of 187 opossums. The study was conducted by W.J. Hamilton, Jr. and published the The Journal of Wildlife Management, Vol. 15, No. 3.
