How do tlacuaches care for their young and how many can they have? This animal can have up to 21 pups and cares for them in the marsupial pouch.
The tlacuache is an order of mammals belonging to the marsupial family. Its scientific name is didelfimorfos, although in general they are known like opossums.
They are predominantly nocturnal animals and Arboreal (Its displacement on the ground is awkward and slow). They are characterized by their elongated snout, dense fur, prehensile tail and the presence, in females, of a marsupi where they care, feed and transport their offspring.
The size varies depending on the species of tlacuache. In general terms, they measure around 60 centimeters and weigh about 5 kilograms. Their life expectancy is also variable, being in some species from two to three years and in others reaching until eight.
They inhabit the entire Australian continent. They are also present throughout the American continent, from Canada to Argentina.
Thanks to their adaptability, they are found in different habitats ranging from xerophilous shrubs to tropical forests .
How do tlacuaches care for their young and how many can they have?
Tlacuaches or opossums reproduce sexually. In mating season, females secrete odors that attract males.
The females have a bifurcated vagina that derives in two ovaries, two uteri and two uterine necks. During the sexual act, the male deposits the sperm through a bifurcated penis that is attached to the female reproductive organ. This animal species reproduces between two and three times per year.
The gestation period of tlacuaches is relatively short. It lasts from 11 to 13 days. Later the pups will be born. Due to the lack of placenta, the newborn tlacuaches have a size similar to a bee and are not fully developed.
Females can give birth to a variable number of offspring, ranging from 4 to 21 newborns who will migrate immediately to the marsupial. There are the nipples, of which they will feed between 90 and 108 days.
The marsupial is the most striking feature of the marsupial family, in which the tlacuache or opossum is found. It is an epidermal bag formed by folds of skin that cover the nipples and the mammary organs.
It works as a shelter and provides the necessary heat for the young to survive while they breastfeed, as these, in such early states of life, can not regulate their body temperature by themselves.
Because the female only has about 13 nipples, the remaining offspring will not survive and be expelled from the marsupi.
As they grow, the offspring will be fully developed. In the first 15 days of life, the hind legs develop and can voluntarily move the tail.
At 17 days, the sexual organs become visible. Between the 20 and 25 days, the hind legs acquire movement and at the 30 days begins the growth of the hair in the whole body.
When they reach 50 days of age, the young will have a size similar to a small mouse, have developed a short coat and begin to open their eyes and move their mouth at will.
When they reach 70 days, the young have a longer and bushy coat, can open and close the mouth and eyes completely. 10 days later they will be larger in size, similar to a large rat, and will have canines, incisors and premolars.
When they already possess the dental apparatus developed, the young can begin to feed on soft foods and some fruits.
At this point, the pups will frequently leave the marsupi and climb the mother's back, where they will spend the day while she hunts or seeks food. This will continue until the pups develop a size and weight that will prevent the mother from carrying them on her back.
From that moment on, the offspring will enter the mature stage, begin their sexual development six or eight months after birth and completely separate from the mother.
Finally, the hatchlings will have learned to hunt, to look for foods like fruits, insects and birds, among others. They will also know how to fend for themselves in their habitat and develop instincts and behaviors that will allow them to survive predators such as owls, snakes and pumas.
More information about tlacuaches
The opossums or tlacuaches can survive at different heights. Specimens have been found that inhabit areas above sea level and others that live at 3000 meters.
Throughout the world they receive different names: In Colombia they are known as chuchas or faras, in Ecuador as foxes, in Mexico they are called tlacuaches while in Guatemala they are known as tacuacines.
They are also known as foxes, guasalos, mucas, canchalucos, carachupas, weasels. In Brazil, they receive names derived from Portuguese, they are known as possum, mucura or sarigué.
His name is in english Opossum And the scientific name they receive is, depending on the species, Didelphis marsupialis Y Didelphis virginiana .
They are omnivorous animals, so they feed on various sources such as fruits, insects, worms, birds, amphibians, eggs, cereals, blood and even feed on the rubbish and trash of humans.
This great nutritional capacity, together with strong muscle jaws, allows opossums to survive in almost any habitat.
The opossums or tlacuaches are excellent climbers and spend much of their life in the trees. Their movements are faster and graceful on the trees because they have a prehensile tail, five fingers on each limb and on the hind legs have opposable thumbs.
Tlacuaches are known to make their predators believe they are dead. They drop their tongues out, lower their vital signs to a minimum, and even their eyes become glassy. When the predator thinks that the tlacuache has died, it releases him and it is at that moment where the opossum or tlacuache takes advantage to flee.
References
- Jésica Arcangeli. Department of Zoology, Institute of Biology, National Autonomous University of Mexico. P. 70-153. Coyoacan, C.P. 04510, Mexico, D, F. Care for Possum (Didelphis virginiana) joeys in captivity. Management of young opossum (didelphis virginiaana) in captivity. (2014) Recovered from veterinary.org.
- National Geographic. Animals. Opossums. (2017) Retrieved from nationalgeographic.com.
- Alina Bradford. Live science contributor. Live Science. (September 20, 2016) Facts about the common Opossum. Retrieved from livescience.com.
- George Gaylord Simpson. American Museum Novitates. Posted by The American Museum of Natural History. (October 30, 1974) Notes on Didelphidae (Mammalia, Marsupialia) from the Huayquerian (Pliocene) of Argentina.
- Encyclopaedia Britannica. The editors Of Encyclopaedia Britannica. (January 18, 2016) Marsupial, mammal. Retrieved from: britannica.com.
- Com (2017) Pouch (Marsupial) Retrieved from: revolvy.com.
- The National Opossum Society. (2015) Opossums. Retrieved from: opossum.org.