STO Breeding

Short Tailed Opossums are problomatic to breed. As previously mentioned they are solitary animals and only come together to breed. The females are induced ovulators. This is when placed with a male she is induced into estrus ( breeding condition ).When placing a pair together fighting can and usually does take place which can often lead to injuries and even death. It appears that it is the male that usually bears the brunt of the damage.

When placing the pair together it is absolutely vital that you keep a very close eye on them. It is said it takes about 7 - 9 days of being together before breeding takes place, but can be a little longer.

Babies are born 13 - 14 days after breeding actually takes place. The babies are born and immediately climb to a nipple and attach themselves. They are said to stay here for upto 3 weeks. If a baby falls / dislodges from the nipple, they are unable to reattach and die.

Once free from the nipple, the babies usually cling to the female and are carried about.

I am in the middle of a little experiment to try and reduce the threat of injury or death to any of my Opossums. Short Tailed Opossuns are in quite short supply at the minute, especially males. It was of paramount importance to me that nothing happens to any of my STO's.

I placed two vivs next to each other, one with male and one with female opossums in. The vivs have a number of vents in which were opened fully to allow maximum air flow between the vivs. I was hoping that the pair of opossums could smell each other and bring the female into estrus.

As soon as I placed the vivs next to each other the male started to sniff around and the female became visisbly more active. She appeared to be searching around the viv for the male. After 30 minutes or so she settled down.

After about seven days the male appeared much more active, sniffing around the viv and smelling the air. He was the one who appeared to be searching for the female.

On the ninth day I placed male into females viv and immediately the male went to the female. He grabbed her by the neck and wrestled her to the ground, where he sniffed her vent region. He immediately appeared to mate with the female. I am waiting to see if the mating was successful. After mating both the male and the female sought separate shelters. I did leave them in for a couple more days just in case the mated again but nothing more was observed.

This first mating yielded no babies.

I have tried this method with another female and this is the result.

Above and below are pitures of Lola carrying her babies.

Quite impressed with the results, a long way to go to see if it is just good luck or good management.

On introducing the pairs together I still kept a close eye on them for any aggression. At no point has there been any aggression between the male and females other than vocalisation and posturing.

debonaireexoticanimals@yahoo.com