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Have you ever seen a creature lying silently and seemingly dead by the side of the road, only to see it get up and walk away as if nothing happened? Chances are, the animal you saw was a possum. Opossums belong to the order Didelphimorphia and live only in America. In total, more than 120 different species exist, most of them in South America. In fact, only one species lives in the United States and Canada. The Virginia opossum, or ‘possum’ for short, is the only marsupial to live north of Mexico. These predominantly solitary, nocturnal animals live in a wide variety of habitats, including close to human populations. When startled, they often play dead, which is where the phrase “playing possum” comes from. While you may have come across a possum before, you can answer the question “what do opossums eat?”
Today we intend to answer this question for you in our guide to the diet of a typical opossum. For the purposes of this article, we will use the term possum to refer specifically to the Virginia possum. The diet an possum eats is largely influenced by its habitat, so we’ll limit our look to those possums that live in the United States and Canada. We will discuss what possums typically eat and how they hunt and forage for food. In addition, we discuss what they eat in captivity and what baby possums eat. That said, let’s get ready to play possum and find out what possums eat.
What do opossums like to eat?
Opossums are omnivores and will eat just about anything they can catch. They enjoy a wide variety of plant and animal foods and can hardly be called picky eaters. Usually, the food a possum eats mainly depends on its environment. Opossums will also change their diet according to the seasons, as they become less active during the winter. That said, some foods make up the bulk of a possum’s diet, while others eat them only rarely. In addition, possums enjoy some foods more than others and will choose to eat those foods if they are readily available. To narrow down this list, we’ve identified 10 foods that possums prefer to eat. These foods include:
- Eggs
- Fish
- amphibians
- reptiles
- birds
- small mammals
- insects
- berries
- Fruit
- Waste
- seeds
Unlike some animals, possums will eat carrion and will not shy away from eating other animals. In addition, there is some evidence that captive possums may engage in cannibalism. However, there is little evidence that cannibalism is a common practice in the wild. In the presence of humans, possums will often raid compost heaps, trash cans, and heaps of waste in search of leftovers. They will also steal food from dog and pet food bowls, bird feeders and gardens. At their core, possums are opportunists and will never pass up an easy meal if someone presents themselves.
How do opossums hunt and forage for food?
A possum’s most valuable senses are its keen sense of touch and an exceptional sense of smell. Opossums will use their opposing “thumbs” to climb trees and branches to loot eggs from bird nests. They also use their strong front legs and long claws to dig in the ground for bugs and insects. Meanwhile, their exceptional sense of smell helps them find food from far away. In fact, their noses have about 3 times as many genes devoted to detecting smells as humans. Although their hearing is OK, it is not well developed. In addition, their sense of taste is also quite flawed, which may explain why they eat almost anything. Finally, their eyesight is rather poor. However, as nocturnal animals, they rely very little on their eyesight as they use their sharp noses to help them get around and find food.
Opossums constantly move in search of food at night. They use their sharp claws to dig up insects, insects and invertebrates. Their opposable thumbs and grab tracks help them climb trees to attack birds and search for eggs. A possum’s mouth contains about 50 teeth, which is more than any other mammal in North America. In addition, they have 10 upper incisors, well above what any other mammal possesses. Although they can easily chew on other animals due to their wide smiles, they also spend a lot of time looking for plants, especially fruit. The possums that live close to humans often use their noses to track down litter and other debris. Waste is high in calories and makes for an easy meal for a possum.
What do possums eat in the wild?
In the wild, insects make up the bulk of a possum’s diet. Common insects that the possums eat are: grasshoppers, beetles, crickets, and cockroaches. In addition, possums represent one of the best natural tick repellents you can find. Opossums love to eat ticks and can eat up to 5,000 ticks in one season. This makes them very effective in reducing the number of ticks and the spread of diseases such as Lyme disease. They also eat small animals like rabbits, mice, rats, voles, frogs, snakes, birds, lizards, and fish. Opossums have a natural resistance to certain snake venoms, making them an ideal predator of snakes. Opossums often eat carrion, which often attracts them to roads or human areas. This can lead to collisions, which explains why people often associate possums with road deaths.
During the spring and summer, possums tend to eat more animal material as it is more abundant. However, in summer, fall and winter, possums will begin to eat more plant matter. They especially like berries and fruits like apples and persimmons. Opossums will also eat nuts and seeds, although with less frequency than other foods. If no other food is readily available, they will also eat grasses and other vegetation. Really, the possum is willing to eat just about anything if
it
‘s hungry enough.
What do captive possums eat?
In captivity, possums usually live up to 4 years of age. However, to live that long, an possum must eat a balanced diet full of nutritional foods. As omnivores, possums need to eat a wide variety of foods to stay healthy and get all the nutrients they need. Pellet insect food is a popular choice for feeding possums as insects make up a large part of their diet. Many people who keep possums in captivity also supplement with plenty of fresh fruits and vegetables. Other foods include eggs and lean meats such as: chicken or fishing. You can also include nutritional supplements that contain additional vitamins and minerals, such as calcium. Given their love of food, possums will eat just about anything you put in front of them. However, this can lead to problems such as obesity, especially given their naturally slow metabolism.
What do baby possums eat?
At birth, baby opossums are only a little over an inch long. Once born, baby possums will then climb into their mother’s pouch and begin sucking on her milk. They stay in the pouch for about 2.5 months, during which time they only eat milk. When the babies come out of the pouch, they climb onto their mother’s back. During the time it spends on its mother’s back, a baby possum eats the same food as an adult. Most young possums stay with their mothers until about 4 or 5 months. At that point, they are old enough to take care of themselves. Baby opossums kept in captivity are fed powdered milk formula and finally pureed fruits and vegetables. If you come across a baby possum in the wild, you should not attempt to pick it up as the mother may be nearby.
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