A widely shared clip offers a close view of an unusual scene in North American wildlife: a mother opossum traveling with babies covering much of her back.
What happened?
Users on Reddit circulated the footage in r/NatureIsFuckingLit. In it, a female opossum moves along while a large group of joeys hangs onto her fur.
(Click here if the embedded video does not appear.)
The image can seem almost fabricated at first. With small faces and tails spread over nearly her whole back, the animal resembles a single moving bundle of young.
However surprising as it looks, this is a real part of opossum motherhood. The opossum is also North America's only marsupial.
More than anything, the clip draws attention to the sheer number of joeys involved. One encounter like this can reveal how many young a single female may be caring for at once.
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Why does it matter?
Unfortunately, opossums remain misunderstood backyard visitors, but videos like these can help people understand them better. Possums help keep pests under control; they feed on rodents, birds, and insects, among other things, and can help reduce disease and protect your crops or other garden plants.
Biodiversity often exists much closer to home than many people realize. Even a brief glimpse of a neighborhood opossum can reveal a complex survival story unfolding in plain sight.
What can I do?
However odd the footage may appear, it shows a mother opossum managing a remarkable burden as she keeps her family moving.
One user said, "Mothers of every form are just the most amazing creatures...," while others were trying to count all the joeys.
One redditor commented, "Can anyone count them? I kept losing track."
Another responded, "I got 9, but I might be missing one."
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