This is Shorty, my Brazilian opossum.

After exhausting his energy from an eventful evening of exploring the world, Shorty will curl up and fall asleep on my lap or in my hands. He is the sweetest little guy ever.

Some info about his species:
The Brazilian opossum (Monodelphis domestica), also called a Rainforest opossum, Grey shorttailed opossum, or Brazilian shorttailed opossum amongst many other names, is a small, grey/brown solitary marsupial native to eastern and central Brazil, eastern Bolivia, northern Paraguay, and northern Argentina. While they are marsupials, they are one of a small handful of opossum species that does not have a pouch; thus the young are fully visible when they cling to their mother's teats during gestation. Brazilian opossums are proficient hunters, feeding primarily upon invertebrates, rodents, reptiles, birds, eggs, and fruit. Their scientific name "domestica" derives from their proclivity for inhabiting human dwellings to hunt insects and rodents. They have fully prehensile tails from which they can hang or carry items with, opposable thumbs on their hind feet, fifty sharp teeth, soft fur coats similar in texture to a chinchilla's, and they are crepuscular by nature. The species is listed as "Least Concern" by the IUCN Red List and is abundant in the wild.

A note to viewers: To any who may be thinking, "I want one!" after watching Shorty's video, please note that Brazilian opossums can be very difficult to bond with on this level. While they make fantastic pets, they are a highly independent and solitary species and they generally do not actively seek out your affection in the same way a dog, a cat, or some rodents do. As well, every opossum is an individual. Some do not like being handled at all, some are skittish, some enjoy interacting with you but do not like being petted, etc. Even those that are "cuddly" will often only behave that way if they are concealed in a pouch or pocket, and even then they may not tolerate petting while they are trying to sleep. It takes a very strong bond, trust, and an exceptionally laidback individual for an opossum to behave as Shorty does in this video. I have invested an extensive amount of time into socialising and bonding with Shorty and it has paid off, but he also happens to have an extremely docile temperament. So please, do not go out and buy one of these opossums because you want one like Shorty. You may be very disappointed. When acquiring a new animal, you should always consider the fact that you may get the polar opposite of what that animal's depiction in videos is. And ask yourself, would you still want to live with and care for this animal for its entire life if it behaves nothing like how you had expected or hoped? Please meticulously research any animal before considering bringing one home.

I hope you enjoy my little Shortster.
NanaBorderCollie :)

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