Which statement best describes opossum reproduction?

Which statement best describes opossum reproduction?

• A. A female opossum can have up to 13 babies at a time, limited by the number of nipples, and these babies attach to a nipple and grow there.
• B. Opossums split into multiple eggs in reproduction.
• C. Opossums mate for life and have a few young each year.
• D. Opossums reproduce by laying eggs that incubate in the pouch.

Answer: (A)

Opossums reproduce as marsupials with very underdeveloped newborns that crawl to the mother’s pouch and attach to a nipple to finish developing. The number of babies is limited by how many nipples the female has; for Virginia opossums this is typically about 13, so a single birth can include up to around 10–13 young. These young latch onto a nipple and remain there to grow for several weeks, often continuing development in the pouch before venturing out. They do not lay eggs, and they do not form long-term pair bonds for life; instead, they produce multiple small litters across the breeding season. So the statement describing up to 13 babies attached to nipples accurately reflects opossum reproductive biology.

Opossums reproduce as marsupials with very underdeveloped newborns that crawl to the mother’s pouch and attach to a nipple to finish developing. The number of babies is limited by how many nipples the female has; for Virginia opossums this is typically about 13, so a single birth can include up to around 10–13 young. These young latch onto a nipple and remain there to grow for several weeks, often continuing development in the pouch before venturing out. They do not lay eggs, and they do not form long-term pair bonds for life; instead, they produce multiple small litters across the breeding season. So the statement describing up to 13 babies attached to nipples accurately reflects opossum reproductive biology.