A backyard opossum casually strolling past a human and a house cat has Reddit fascinated — and asking one big question: Was this fearless visitor pregnant, or did she just have a very full pouch?
In a post on r/Opossums, commenters turned a simple patio encounter into a marsupial lesson.
The post titled "Does this opossum look pregnant?" drew widespread attention after one Redditor shared a video of a curious opossum — sometimes just referred to as a possum — stopping by their patio.
"I don't know anything about these cuties. It's super curious and was sniffing around my patio, and it came right up beside me," the original poster wrote.
They added that the opossum seemed unfazed by cats, having "passed right by mine," and had headed back toward its "lair."
(Click here if the embedded video does not appear.)
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In the clip, the opossum appears to be hauling leaves or brush with its tail, a detail that left some viewers confused.
Commenters familiar with marsupials said the animal was likely nesting and may already have babies in her pouch, rather than appearing "pregnant" as many placental mammals do.
One of the top comments summed it up simply: "Looks like she's got a full pouch."
Others explained that opossum babies are born extremely tiny — "about the size of a honey bee," as one commenter put it — and continue developing while attached inside the mother's pouch.
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Patios, decks, sheds, and landscaped yards can offer shelter and nesting material, while repeated exposure to people can make some animals seem unusually calm around us.
That does not necessarily mean they are tame. Instead, human development is reshaping how wildlife moves through neighborhoods.
Many commenters initially thought something might be wrong with the opossum before learning that she was likely using her prehensile tail to carry bedding for her den.
And while this opossum seemed unbothered by the original poster's pet cat, outdoor cats can pose serious risks to native wildlife, especially vulnerable young animals, making this wildlife sighting even more unusual.
Reddit commenters were quick to chime in with their takes on the opossum.
"Yep. That is nesting behavior, they will gather brush, leaves, and other soft things to bring to their den," one person wrote.
"So you would not be able to tell if a possum is pregnant because the babies are born so tiny and undeveloped," one commenter explained, adding that later on, people may spot "little curly tails sticking out."
One popular reaction captured the mood: "Her polite little feeties!"
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