Pizza rat may have had its 15 minutes of fame but now it’s “OctoPossum’s” turn to shine.
This strong, independent opossum mom was seen carrying eight babies across her back in an Astoria backyard, Gothamist first reported. YouTube user Gene Grey uploaded the video on Tuesday, which showed an opossum wearily walking across a backyard and through a hole in a fence.
“Typical morning, drinking coffee, look out of the window & see our neighborhood opossum taking her 8 that’s right EIGHT opossum offsprings for a ride,” the YouTube user wrote. “We’ve decided to name her #OctoPossum.”
Opossums usually give birth to a large number of offspring who must attach to their mother’s teat. The mom only has 13 nipples but may give birth to up to 20 babies. Staying true to Darwin’s evolutionary theory, the babies who do not attach to a nipple usually end up dying.
After spending about two months in the pouch, the babies hang on to their mother’s back and as they grow larger, some fall off and are forced to fend for themselves.
Watch the video below:
