Jack, Jill and Joeys
After just 12-13 days of gestation, the mom opossum, called a jill to the male’s jack (who ditches her, by the way, as soon as the deed is done), gives birth to up to 20 jellybean-size babies.
The joeys immediately crawl into mom’s pouch to grow. When they leave the pouch, mom carries her cuties on her back wherever she goes. Talk about heavy lifting!
Typically, they hang out with mom for about 100 days before heading out on their own to be your family’s free gardener, eating the unwanted pests around your home and garden.