These cute and fluffy baby marsupials took are still finding their feet in the world – which is perhaps why a couple still haven’t quite mastered their balance.
Two of the tiny opossums got slightly overconfident sitting on a thin branch and one ended up desperately clinging on using just its tail.
The brood of six grey babies, about three months old, were spotted by photographer Ronald Wittek gathered on and around their mother’s back on a farm in Minnesota in the U.S.
Uh-oh! These baby opossums were forced to cling on for dear life after taking a spill from the thin branch they perched precariously on
Reach out: After a couple of minutes it hauled itself up onto the branch
But, when a couple of the small marsupials decided to explore their surroundings, they almost fell from their perch.
After slipping from the branch and hanging by its tail, one of the opossum babies appeared to wear a very uncomfortable expression.
Thankfully though, after a couple of minutes clinging on, the adorable animal managed to heave itself back to safety.
Ronald, 48, from Speyer, Germany, said: ‘Opossum babies tend to leave their mother’s pouch when they are about two months old.’
Balancing act: The pictures were taken on a farm in Minnesota
Brood: The tiny opossums are then carried on their parent’s back – adults can have up to 15 babies at one time
He added: ‘After that they are then carried on their parent’s back – adults can have up to 15 babies at one time.
‘Although the baby looked like it had fallen off the branch, young opossums like to hang on to things with their prehensile tails.
‘But, when they are adults they become too heavy and just use their tails to keep their balance.
‘The babies that slipped from the branch hung on for a few minutes before they were able to climb back on the branch.
‘They use their tails almost like they use their paws – I don’t think they panicked when they slipped.’
Play nice! The parent opossum is swamped by the youngsters, which were just six weeks old when the pictures were taken
