Mindy Williams, age 8, of Burlington, Vt., for her question:

HOW MANY BABIES DOES AN OPOSSUM HAVE AT ONE TIME?

Opossums are the only marsupials that are native to North America. They live from Ontario in Canada southward into South America. A mother opossum will give birth to a group of from five to 20 babies at one time.

A marsupial is an animal that carries its young about in the mother's pouch after they are born. The kangaroo is also a marsupial.

At the time of birth, an opossum is only about as big as a kidney bean. The mother carries its tiny babies in its pouch on the outer skin of its abdomen for about two months after birth. Inside the pouch are nipples so the babies can drink milk.

After leaving the pouch, the young stay near the mother for several more weeks. Often they cling to the mother's back as she moves around in search of any kind of animal or vegetable food. They hunt at night.

The common opossum found in the United States and Canada grows about as big as a house cat. It has a long snout, dark eyes and big hairless ears. It has a long rat like tail. A common opossum has 50 teeth, more than any other North American mammal. Its teeth and claws are sharp.