Clean Up Crew The opossum is one of the most interesting animals in North America. They are the only marsupial here in North America. A marsupial baby is born and climbs up into its mothers pouch where it continues to develop. A baby opossum is hardly bigger than a black-eyed-pea when its born. It has no eyes or hair and poorly developed feet. It crawls up into its mothers pouch and attaches itself to a nipple where it feeds on very rich milk for approximately 3 or 4 months. After 10-13 babies grow big enough there is not much room so out they come and climb on moms back, and sides, and head and well anywhere they can get a hand full of fur. Opossums are active at night so out mom comes from her den or maybe from under your house to make nightly visits to the local dump or nearest dog food bowl. They love garbage, fresh out of your garbage can. In fact opossums love to eat anything that stinks and is rotten. The more rotten the better! There stomachs are made to digest things that humans don't even want to look at. Opossums are the original clean up committee. God knew that humans and other animals were always going to make a mess, so he made these cute little black-eyed, hairless, tailed critters to do the dirty work. I am so glad God planned ahead, aren't you?
- Uncle Burney ("The Builder" February, 2000)
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