Harry's development is very fast. It has to be considering his life span is less than 4 years in the wild. He is sexually mature at 6 months!
Here is his weight chart from April 8th thru May 10. The weight is in grams. His rescue/arrival weight was 72 grams ( a nickel weighs 5 grams) or 70¢ in nickels, or 14 nickels. In one month his weight increased to 466 grams or $4.66 in nickels. He weighs about a full pound!
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On May 10th, Harry got moved to his 3rd new home. This new cage has tree branches in it so that he can start learning how to climb. Actually he is all ready wired to climb, it is instinctual for him to do this. His new cage also has a new hammock and his own food, water and "toilet" bowl. He spent a good hour sniffing everything, .as it was all new to him. As time goes on, new items will be added to his cage. Items he will find in the wild like leaves, pine needles, logs, pine cones, dirt. This will equip him with many of the smells he will encounter when he is released.
But for now, Harry has the penthouse with a view to drool over...the kitchen and his "chef" Dave.
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Harry does not see well, but he has a highly developed sense of smell. Here he demonstrates how he explores his new cage by using his nose He also will lick surface to help him identify if it is food. Notice how he curls his tail around the branch to the right. Note: Opossums do not hang upside down by their tails. What it is used for is grip and balance as they maneuver through branches. |
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Harry has a bigger hammock and it is obvious what he thinks about it! He has to climb up his branch to get in and this will help him develop the necessary skills to live in the wild., minus the custom hammock of course. |
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Harry has a penthouse cage and a primo view of his of favorite person: His personal Chef! Harry does not see as well as we do, but he can smell a yummy dinner coming in a heartbeat!
In addition to his upper hammock, Harry has the option of sleeping in his lower den. Here he is but a step away from his food and water dish. Talk about room service! |
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| Thanks for visiting Harry's
Place. Come back in a few more days for the next update. |
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| May 12, 2005 | ||
