Rare Footage Baby Brushtail Possum Joey ❤️in Mum's Pouch

Описание: 1. What stage of growth do you think this cute baby possum joey is at? (Please read the stages outlined below & comment why).
2. Am I wrong to call Chopper a juvenile possum who has failed to launch?
3. Share about possums where you live.
4. Thanks everyone who is subscribing, commenting, liking & watching these videos.

Note: I have several years experience with wild possums, gaining this level of familiarity is rare, especially with a pregnant possum.
These two possums specifically are friendly with me and let me pat them because I started feeding the Mother possum when Chopper (the juvenile possum) was just a baby riding on it's back.
The Mum has learnt that I am not a threat and am one source of food from time to time among many other sources.
I have several videos on this channel explaining how to befriend and pat cute Australian possums, and how to teach them to eat from the palm of your hand - so check those out before attempting to feed Australian possums.

Common brushtail possums (Trichosurus vulpecula) are marsupials, so their young (called joeys) develop in a very distinctive way. Here are the main stages of joey development, from birth to independence:

1. Pregnancy and Birth
Gestation is very short, only about 17–18 days.
The joey is born extremely underdeveloped: hairless, blind, pink, and about the size of a jellybean.
Immediately after birth, it crawls unaided from the birth canal into the mother’s pouch.

2. Early Pouch Life
Inside the pouch, the joey attaches firmly to a teat, which swells in its mouth to keep it secure.
At this stage, it cannot detach or survive on its own.
Major organs, limbs, and the nervous system continue to develop.
The joey remains permanently attached for several weeks.

3. Later Pouch Development
Over the next few months:
Fur begins to grow
Eyes and ears develop and eventually open
The joey starts to move and release the teat
The pouch provides warmth, protection, and constant access to milk, which changes composition as the joey grows.

4. Emerging from the Pouch
At around 4–5 months, the joey begins to peek out of the pouch and later emerges for short periods.
It may ride on the mother’s back, clinging to her fur, especially at night when she forages.
It continues to return to the pouch to feed and rest.

5. Back Young and Weaning
By about 6–7 months, the joey spends most of its time outside the pouch.
It starts sampling solid food while still suckling.
Gradual weaning occurs as milk intake decreases.

6. Independence
At around 8–10 months, the young possum becomes fully independent.
It leaves the mother’s home range and establishes its own territory.
Sexual maturity is reached later, usually at 1–2 years of age.

Summary
In short, brushtail possum joeys:
Are born tiny and undeveloped
Grow mainly inside the pouch
Transition to riding on the mother’s back
Gradually learn to forage and live independently

This pouch-based development is a key feature that distinguishes marsupials from placental mammals.

The questions about the video:
1. What stage of growth do you think this baby possum joey is at? (Please read the stages outlined above & comment why).
2. Am I wrong to call Chopper a juvenile possum who has failed to launch?
3. Please share about possums where you live.
4. Thanks everyone who is subscribing, commenting, liking & watching these videos.

Note: possums are wild animals in Australia, we don't keep them as pets. While extremely cute, they do bite. Please don't attempt to feed any wildlife if you are a tourist. There are many things you should not feed possums because it can harm them.