People often blame them for things they didnât do such as tipping garbage cans or killing chickens. A lot of the time the only major complaint people have about them is simply that they are there.
Opossums usually donât tip the trash cans or dig up gardens but they often stop to clean up the mess left by another animal and get all the blame.
Opossums Are Gentle Wild Neighbors
Opossums are peaceful animals that prefer not to fight although they may hiss, growl, and even bite if cornered. It is much more likely that the opossum will faint or âplay deadâ at the prospect of a confrontation.
This physiological response is involuntary and automatic. The stress and shock of the encounter actually triggers a comatose state that can last anywhere from 40 minutes to four hours. The opossumâs body becomes limp, its front feet form tight balls, its lips are drawn back, and drool runs from its mouth. The animal can be poked, turned over, and even carried away without reaction.
Perhaps the most amazing thing about the opossumsâ elaborate bluff routine is that it mimics not only the appearance but the smell of a dead animal.
Opossums Help Keep Our Backyards and Homes Clean and Free of Pests
People tend to think Opossums are unclean and disease ridden but it is actually just the opposite. Opossums are extremely clean. They are opportunistic scavengers who happily clean up after themselves and everyone else. Opossums will eat almost anything including, but not limited to:
cockroaches
crickets
beetles
slugs
snails
rats
mice
over-ripe fruit
remains of dead animals
snakes
Opossums Are Important Allies In the Fight Against Lyme.
Like most small and medium sized mammals, Opossums are hosts to ticks. What makes Opossums special is that they are extremely good at finding and killing most ticks that hop on looking for a blood meal. According to Rick Ostfeld, author of a book on Lyme disease and senior scientist at the Cary Institute of Ecosystem Studies, opossums kill more than 95% of the ticks that try to feed on them and can kill about 5000 ticks in one season!
Surprised? So were we. Apparently, Opossums are meticulous groomers who are very good at sniffing out the stowaways.
Opossumâs May Hold The Key To Curing Snake Bites
In addition to ticks, Opossums also eat quite a few poisonous snakes and this has caused them to develop a resistance to snake venom. Scientists are currently trying to isolate the component responsible for this remarkable adaptation. Given that an estimated 94,000 people die of snake bites each year, this would be a pretty big contribution on the part of the Opossum.
How Can You Help Opossums?
The best thing you can do to help opossums is be their advocates. Partly because of their looks, and partly because of their association with garbage, people tend to dislike them and often times opossums are attacked because of it. An alarming number of Opossums become victims of animal cruelty.
Nice capture. You don't usually see them standing still so long. I had a family of them living in my garage after coming though the cat door. They helped themselves to my cat food. We gradually trapped them all and took them to the woods. I don't hate them but I don't want to pay for their upkeep. Fav
I love opossums. It upsets me that they get such a bad rap. They also do not carry rabies which a lot of people think since raccoons do. Anyway, looks like his ear was marked somehow - or an old injury? I know around here they will snip feral cats' ears to show that they have been spayed/neutered in case of recapture. Not sure why they would do that for opossums lol. Anyway, great photo!
Opossums usually donât tip the trash cans or dig up gardens but they often stop to clean up the mess left by another animal and get all the blame.
Opossums Are Gentle Wild Neighbors
Opossums are peaceful animals that prefer not to fight although they may hiss, growl, and even bite if cornered. It is much more likely that the opossum will faint or âplay deadâ at the prospect of a confrontation.
This physiological response is involuntary and automatic. The stress and shock of the encounter actually triggers a comatose state that can last anywhere from 40 minutes to four hours. The opossumâs body becomes limp, its front feet form tight balls, its lips are drawn back, and drool runs from its mouth. The animal can be poked, turned over, and even carried away without reaction.
Perhaps the most amazing thing about the opossumsâ elaborate bluff routine is that it mimics not only the appearance but the smell of a dead animal.
Opossums Help Keep Our Backyards and Homes Clean and Free of Pests
People tend to think Opossums are unclean and disease ridden but it is actually just the opposite. Opossums are extremely clean. They are opportunistic scavengers who happily clean up after themselves and everyone else. Opossums will eat almost anything including, but not limited to:
cockroaches
crickets
beetles
slugs
snails
rats
mice
over-ripe fruit
remains of dead animals
snakes
Opossums Are Important Allies In the Fight Against Lyme.
Like most small and medium sized mammals, Opossums are hosts to ticks. What makes Opossums special is that they are extremely good at finding and killing most ticks that hop on looking for a blood meal. According to Rick Ostfeld, author of a book on Lyme disease and senior scientist at the Cary Institute of Ecosystem Studies, opossums kill more than 95% of the ticks that try to feed on them and can kill about 5000 ticks in one season!
Surprised? So were we. Apparently, Opossums are meticulous groomers who are very good at sniffing out the stowaways.
Opossumâs May Hold The Key To Curing Snake Bites
In addition to ticks, Opossums also eat quite a few poisonous snakes and this has caused them to develop a resistance to snake venom. Scientists are currently trying to isolate the component responsible for this remarkable adaptation. Given that an estimated 94,000 people die of snake bites each year, this would be a pretty big contribution on the part of the Opossum.
How Can You Help Opossums?
The best thing you can do to help opossums is be their advocates. Partly because of their looks, and partly because of their association with garbage, people tend to dislike them and often times opossums are attacked because of it. An alarming number of Opossums become victims of animal cruelty.