TIL newborn opossums are the size of a dime

I knew they were tiny because they are marsupials, but not that tiny. Squee!

188 points · 20 comments · view on lemmy.world

20 Comments

aibler@lemmy.world · 25 pts · 2y

Kangaroos as well! They climb up to the pouch to continue growing in there.

outer_spec@lemmy.blahaj.zone · 18 pts · 2y (5 replies)

it looks like a fetal tortellini

ickplant@lemmy.world · 11 pts · 2y (3 replies)

Forbidden tortellini

antlion@lemmy.dbzer0.com · 8 pts · 2y (2 replies)

Like super forbidden or just frowned upon? Asking for a friend.

ickplant@lemmy.world · 6 pts · 2y (1 reply)

Super duper forbidden.

variants@possumpat.io · 5 pts · 2y

Which makes it more delicious

TriPolarBearz@lemmy.world · 3 pts · 2y

So... A fetallini?

antlion@lemmy.dbzer0.com · 16 pts · 2y (8 replies)

So I guess the marsupial pouch is really like an external womb, because that would be a fetus of any other mammal. Nature is crazy.

ickplant@lemmy.world · 14 pts · 2y (5 replies)

Yes, that’s it! They climb in there, swallow the nipple and continue to “bake in the oven.”

LifeInMultipleChoice@lemmy.world · 7 pts · 2y (1 reply)

Sugar Gliders are tiny, they look similar in size to larva last time I saw them

LifeInMultipleChoice@lemmy.world · 3 pts · 2y

(not mine this is just a picture from online. I would never recommend doing this, they likely killed it because they navigate with limited senses to travel to the nipple)

Willy@sh.itjust.works · 5 pts · 2y (1 reply)

So is it just like full of shit when they are coming out?

ickplant@lemmy.world · 5 pts · 2y

Yeah, that’s an excellent question. It doesn’t sound like the cleanest operation.

antlion@lemmy.dbzer0.com · 3 pts · 2y

And they probably have a nice proper fourth trimester too.

Plantfoodclock@lemmy.world · 3 pts · 2y

For anyone else who had no idea how marsupial fetus-babies climbed from vagina to pouch: link

feedum_sneedson@lemmy.world · 2 pts · 2y

Fuck knows how that evolved.

ickplant@lemmy.world · 10 pts · 2y (1 reply)
jettrscga@lemmy.world · 12 pts · 2y

11-13 days after mating. That's some real time baby feedback.

bjoern_tantau@swg-empire.de · 6 pts · 2y (1 reply)

i thought you were presenting your weird ear wax at first.

ickplant@lemmy.world · 8 pts · 2y

I can do that, too. One time I got my ears irrigated cause I had a wax buildup, and I swear the piece that came out looked like Africa. I could hear so much better that day.