# Mary Ann's baby - Mary Ann the possum that is!



## theAussie (Jun 3, 2007)

Some of you may recall that I mentioned that a certain Mary Ann on this forum had a Brush Tail Possum named after her, down here in Tasmania Australia. Well this possum has been so obviously pregnant for some time. The possum baby stay in there for a LONG time and the poor Mummy possum looks like it is waddling around with a full nappy or something.  
*
I am sad this photo did not turn out well,* we had a glitch with our camera, but I am sure to get some more. Baby is out on the back now, and hasn't been there long, you can tell cos they are all sleepy and blinky looking around at their new world around them. 

Awww - so cute and Mummy Mary Ann is not keen on anyone getting near to her bubs, some of them will bring them right up to me. 









Yes so sorry for the ghosty affect, I had a torch on her and then the flash went wrong on the camera.

I expect them back tonight and will try and get some much better pics.

Now - ...........................what are we gonna name the baby?????? 

love and light
Susan in the forests of Tasmania Australia xxxx


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## mr squeaks (Apr 14, 2005)

Thanks, Susan!

Regarding a name...boy or girl??   

Shi & Squeaks


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## theAussie (Jun 3, 2007)

*yesssssssssssssssss*

I was SO lucky with Mary Ann turning out to be a girl but there are ways to tell early but until this baby (in a few weeks time) starts to venture off the back, I wont know - so it is safe to stick with a name that could be for male or female. 

So far I think of it as "Blinky" - and there is a very Aussie kids book cartoon of a koala called 'Blinky Bill" but I think we could come up with something better if we put our heads together  

I gotta tell ya, some of these babies are absolute ratbags and get themselves into so much trouble when they come off the back. They go exploring and get stuck somewhere on my deck and I have to get a ladder to rescue them, Mum runs away without it and it has to find Mum, and one, one day jumped on the wrong back during a fight and a MALE Possum ran like wildfire with a baby clinging to him and went to a different tree than where they baby was from. Males DO NOT carry the baby and yet the next night, Mum and baby were reunited and yet the tree it was taken too was about 100 metres away  Oh it was funny


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## mr squeaks (Apr 14, 2005)

What a story, Susan!

In that case, you could always call him/her "Lefty" (as in Lookin' For Trouble = LF-T)!   

Shi


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## theAussie (Jun 3, 2007)

*elusive!*

Saw Mumma and bubs through the window last night and thought a piece of bread and apricot jam would be enough to entice her to let me take a photo - so I went and got it, walked out the door and she (they) were gone *and I was left in the dark holding bread and jam with no takers*. It was midnight. I don't eat bread, so I nibbled a little then put it on the feeder - well it was gone in the morning (thank goodness, cos I took a bit of bread my husband likes and it is SO expensive, I am sure he wouldn't be happy me feeding his bread to the possums - lucky he don't read pidgeon talk!  )


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## Reti (Jul 20, 2003)

This is so cute. Love the pic even though it is a bit blurry, they look so cute momma and baby.

Reti


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## feralpigeon (Feb 14, 2005)

Susan, your oppossum is just adorable.....they are an interesting lot
to live around. 'Course I don't have the same type that you have in your
backyard, but I was blessed to watch them for many years in my back 
yard. The kids were so much fun to watch grow up, even though I didn't 
start to see them until they were older. They would do goofy teenager 
things like start coming into the basement room where I was hanging out
because it looked interesting to them at night w/the lights on. Then they'd
stop and look at me, almost surprised that I was in there but would still
want to come in so I had to shoo them away 'cause I didn't want to get 
into trouble w/the parents. Had one of the babies once grown, get into a
'game' w/me....I guess....where he'd charge me then stop a few feet away
dead in his tracks  I was unsure of all the rules to that game so I
started looking them up for information on them and was surprised to learn
that they can give birth to more babies than they have teets to nurse with!
Guess you know that if that happened to a human it would be cited as the
reason "why they went" _Postal_  

Anyway, just love these little critters....

fp


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## theAussie (Jun 3, 2007)

*on the third nights visit - I got these at midnight*









apple now thanks, make it snappy

then








run away - retreat, we have the apple! 









and I will eat it, exactly 10 feet away from you


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## mr squeaks (Apr 14, 2005)

Wow, Susan!

Those are great pictures! That baby sure looks BIG to be riding on momma's back!

Many thanks for posting and we look forward to more updates! 

Love and Hugs

Shi


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## theAussie (Jun 3, 2007)

*about 4 more weeks*

Yep these babies sure get some support from poor old mummy possy who lugs them around in the pouch till it is draggin on the ground and this one has ventured off the back once that I saw to eat some wild bird seed but will ride around for another 4 weeks or so and then will follow mum around for another 2-3 months, it will stick to it's side and go everywhere Mum goes. 

 these babies get very good service don't they!!!!


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## mr squeaks (Apr 14, 2005)

theAussie said:


> Yep these babies sure get some support from poor old mummy possy who lugs them around in the pouch till it is draggin on the ground and this one has ventured off the back once that I saw to eat some wild bird seed but *will ride around for another 4 weeks or so and then will follow mum around for another 2-3 months, it will stick to it's side and go everywhere Mum goes. *
> 
> these babies get very good service don't they!!!!


Now, THAT'S what I call DEVOTION!

Shi


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## Maggie-NC (Jun 22, 2005)

Susan, I am really enjoying this thread. Those last pictures are wonderful with that big old baby hanging on to its mama.


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## maryjane (Jul 15, 2006)

That is about the cutest thing I have ever seen. I am especially fond of opossums as I had an unreleasable one for his whole life (sadly only three years). He was one of the best pets I've ever had, much like a cat and very affectionate with the silliest personality. Of course, he was a Virginia opossum and much different looking than your furry brown little guys and gals.  How lucky for you to have them to amuse you. It's interesting, my opossum wouldn't eat bread or any kind of carbohydrates. Maybe Virginia 'possums are on the Dr. Atkins diet.  He would have licked all the jam off though, that's for sure!


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## theAussie (Jun 3, 2007)

*oh they do!*

Most of my lazy possums have ME hold the bread, while they lick it off, then if they decided they are still hungry then they will eat the bread, these things are just like spoilt kids. They do not seem to understand what is their time for wandering (midnight till 2 in the morning) is MY time for sleep and of course I have nothing better to do them freeze my bum off outside in cold Tasmania in some strange looking night attire holding bread for them so they can lick off the jam -


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