Baby possums?

[Minaluvri]

Ok, so I THOUGHT I knew a good deal about possums, but now that I'm preparing to get one tomorrow morning I am panicking. I'm a squamma! I belong with baby squees and I'm clueless about the whole possum scene....:sanp3 so I'll be needing a little bit of help. First of all: is there really anyway to tell how old they are? Specifically? Like, for example, squirrels eyes open at 5 weeks on the dot and their tail curls at a specific time. But the age chart I found for the possums was very general after hitting the ten week age. So this is all I know about the possum I'm receiving: it's eyes are open, it's probably dehydrated, it was found this morning and I will receive it tomorrow morning, it's under a baby chick heat lamp (I know, I know, not good, I told them that but they seem to believe it won't make a difference until morning..urghhhh) it hasn't been fed since found, it was found on someone's back steps motionless, it was put in a box with heat lamp and it made a bunch of noise and then curled up and went to sleep around 3:00 pm or so and at 5:00 pm it was reported still in the same place but breathing normally, it's small, can fit in your hand but its got SOME fur on it though I can't be sure how much, and the finders believe it walks funny with its right hind leg. I don't know if its old enough to be away from mom, if mom kicked it out because of its foot, or if its just an adolescent but I'd like help determining age, and with that a suggestion for the correct diet and handling, (I'm a bit worried since its eyes are open that it will be aggressive) THANKS! I will post pics tomorrow!

[kastillo]

Good morning!
Post a pic and I will try to help, I'm just getting started on the possie rehab myself. I will check my info. for you.

I've had 4 litters and two singles pass through my hands just in the last month, in one of the litters, one baby had a club foot, like it was glued to the leg with only a couple toes apparent. Like it was born that way, or got squished developing.

Most of the babies have been 9 weeks or older by the chart I'm using. That seems to be the age when they start to venture, or in some cases mom gets hit by car or attacked by dog, etc....

[Minaluvri]

Thank you! The finders are on their way bringing the baby over. I was just worried because when I was reading an age chart for possies I think it's around 9-12 weeks which some websites say is a baby that does NOT need your help, one that's already left mom. I didn't want to take an adolescent possum out of its natural habitat, but the people already have it and are insisting its keeping its foot under its body and sort of dragging it. Something else I don't want is for them to release one that actually needed help.

[squirrelsrule&bunniestoo]

I'd have the person look around for more babies! I've never gotten a little guy in that still fits in your hand that wasn't found on a dead mom or if came in alone, they usually find the dead mom a couple days later. Definitely have them look around. Otherwise, the baby probably fell out of the pouch. They have to be 7 inches long not including tail to survive on their own.

[kastillo]

Yup, possum usually come in litters of 5, 6, 9 , 13........ LOL, it's always a lot. I suspect when someone brings in just one or two, they've tried raising a whole litter themselves, unsuccessfully, and they bring the survivors to the wildlife center when they realize they cannot do it any longer.
But hey, that's just my suspicion.

[Rhapsody]

Here is a page I started on Facebook about the basic care of Opossums --
https://www.facebook.com/pages/Opossum-Care/468773769812948

They should be on Fox Valley formula 32/40 until they are 200 grams, then you can start them on Peters Food (morning & night)
with chopped veggies and fruit on the side.
They like a blanket to snuggle up in (hide under) and a good size water bowl to drink out of and to do their business in.

Let me know if there is any thing else I can help you with. :)

[Rhapsody]

it's small, can fit in your hand but its got SOME fur on it though I can't be sure how much, and the finders believe it walks funny with its right hind leg. I don't know if its old enough to be away from mom, if mom kicked it out because of its foot, or if its just an adolescent but I'd like help determining age, and with that a suggestion for the correct diet and handling, (I'm a bit worried since its eyes are open that it will be aggressive)By the sounds of it this little one is prob around 4 weeks old and might need to be tube feed IF you cannot get it to take formula from the tip of a 1cc syringe, feeding 5-7% of weight every 5 hours. Due to its hurt or deformed foot its most likely that this possum fell off mom while she was on the move (possums do not wait around if one falls off). Eyes being open does not determine if they will be feisty or not..... its all in the personality, even though I have found female baby possums to be a bit more feisty than their male counter parts until they grow in size a bit.

[LeilaNami]

I wouldn't worry about aggressiveness. I personally found that squirrels are feistier than any possum. Baby possums just like to show their tiny little nub teeth at you when they're ticked off for being handled (which I think is hilarious). IF they bite, it will hurt, but I've never had one make a move for it except a large adult male that was angry for being left in a live trap for over a day in the Texas summer heat. The NR I have was brought in as a male teenager and he just wanders around my house doing his thing.