The Short-tailed Opossum

By Linda Watkins

Short-tailed opossums (Monodelphis domestica) are 6-10 inches long including their tail when adult. They weigh from 3.5 oz. for females to 5 oz. for males when fully grown. They have a dense, soft fur that is dark brown on top & light yellowish on their tummy. They have a prehensile, dark brown tail. The Short-tailed opossum diet consists of dry cat food, wet dog or cat food, fruit, mealworms & insects. They will eat some vegetables, a few unsalted unroasted peanuts, & a little bread. Mealworms & crickets are very much favorites. A hamster water bottle with fresh water is a must every day. It is absolutely imperative that you make sure that the ball in the water bottle is not stuck every day. They are very water dependent & will die quickly without fresh water. A water bowl that is difficult to tip over is a good idea as a water bottle back up.

Housing in a 10-20 gal aquarium with a screen lid works well. The lid needs to be the type that locks down or a brick or some other heavy object will have to be placed on the lid or they will be out & about. They are escape artists so it is essential to make sure they can not escape. A nest box is necessary for a place to sleep & hid. A couple inches of pine shavings works well for the aquarium floor. Do not use cedar shavings; it will cause respiratory problems. Put some sticks in, maybe some tin cans with both ends cut out, a parrot ladder, a hamster wheel, & anything else you think of for toys.

When you reach in to touch your Opossum it will usually greet you with open mouth, teeth showing. Let your opossum smell your hand & usually they will close their mouth. If they don't you can usually just go ahead & touch them & they won't bite. It's mostly bluff. Even if they bite it does not ordinarily hurt.

Short-tailed Opossums are solitary & will need to be housed separately except for breeding. If left together they will kill each other.

Temperatures of 70-80F are most suitable for the Short-tailed Opossums.

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