POSSUMS

Scientific Name: Didelphis virginiana

Fun Fact: When frightened and unable to get away, opossums are able to fall into a trance-like state and appear to be dead called, “playing possum”.

Lifespan: 2-4 years

Description

Opossums are about the size of a house cat. They have gray to black fur and a pointed snout with a hariless tail. Their nose, tail and feet are pink while the ears are black. Oppossum are gentle creatures but prefer to be alone and avoid confrontation. Opossums have 50 razor sharp teeth and will show them when frightened. Female opossums carry and nurse their offspring in a pouch for the first 2-3 months of life. Opossums are usually solitary and nomadic, staying in one area as long as food and water are easily available.

Where Do Opossums Live?

Opossums are the only marsupial that lives in North America. Opossums are highly adaptable and can live wherever water, food and shelter exist. They feel at home in trees and use it’s prehensile tail to aid it during climbing. Opossums cannot hang by their tail. They find human structures like sheds and garages suitable living spaces as long as they aren’t highly visited. Some families will group together in ready-made burrows or even under houses. Though they will temporarily occupy abandoned burrows, they do not dig or put much effort into building their own.

Opossums are found in North, Central, and South America. The Virginia opossum lives in regions as far north as Canada and as far south as Central America, while other types of opossums only inhabit countries south of the United StatesAs nocturnal animals, they favor dark, secure areas. These areas may be below ground or above. The Virginia opossum can often be found in wooded areas, though its habitat may vary widely. Opossums have been moving north in recent years, likely due to climate change.

Diet

Although all living opossums are essentially opportunistic omnivores, different species vary in the amount of meat and vegetation they include in their diet. Possums often consume grass, nuts, fruit and grains. They also prey on rodents, birds, frogs, insects, worms, snails, slugs and snakes. In addition, possums are scavengers, so they search for table scraps in garbage cans and dumpsters and have been known to consume road kill.

Getting Rid of Opossums

Opossums are fairly solitary and generally don’t provide much of a problem for homeowners. They do, however, have a mouthful of extremely sharp teeth so getting bitten can be quite painful and in certain instances, life threatening. Opossums, like raccoons, like to bring the birth of their young indoors, when possible so it is not out of the question you may have an opossum in your garage or backyard shed at some point. This is one of those situations when hiring a professional wildlife company to remove the opossum is the smart thing to do.

When we catch opossums, they are released back into the wild. We have an area over 20 miles away in the county (away from any homes or businesses) that the opossums can make a new home in. We only need to exterminate any individuals that are sick or obviously rabin. The rest are released unharmed back into their native environment.