Opossum Facts and Garden Benefits

The Americas are home to many species of opossums, including the Virginia opossum, the only species found in the United States and Canada. They are good to have around because they provide many benefits to your yard and garden.

Opossums belong to the largest group of marsupials in the Western Hemisphere, with more than 100 species in 19 genera [1]. They generally avoid barren areas and prefer places with shelter, water, and vegetation.

Although they are slow-moving animals, opossums defend themselves by hissing, baring their teeth, climbing, emitting a foul odor, or playing dead.

These creatures have gray fur, pointed faces, hairless prehensile tails, and small dark eyes. They are marsupials [2], meaning they give birth to live young and carry them in pouches.

In this article, we will mostly discuss the facts and benefits of the Virginia opossum. These opossums range from southern Canada through most of the United States and into Mexico and Central America.

Lifespan

Opossums live 2 to 4 years, depending on where they reside [3].

They mate twice a year. The male is generally called a jack, and the female is called a jill.

As marsupials, their young are called joeys.

The female gestates for two weeks before giving birth to about two dozen opossum babies. The little ones have to find their way into mom’s pouch.

Because females usually have only 13 teats, many newborns do not survive.

The joeys stay in the pouch for 2 months and stay with mom until they’re 5 months old. Now, they’re fully capable of fending for themselves.

Opossum vs. Possum

While this does have something to do with how people pronounce and spell the word depending on where they live, it also relates to two distinct families of opossums.

The word opossum has been traced back to 1610, and the word possum to 1613. Regional dialects determine whether the “o” is pronounced and added to the word “possum” or not.

People in the southern portions of the United States tend to drop the “o,” while their northern brethren use the “o.”

In addition, opossum refers to all species of opossum living in the Americas. However, possum refers to the Australian marsupial resembling an opossum and to all species of this animal living in Australia.

European settlers thought the Australian marsupials resembled American opossums, so they gave them a similar name.

Benefits of Possums

Opossums are part of nature’s cleanup crew.

They prefer food that’s on the ground and easy to get. This means they get rid of anything rotten or overripe, including bones.

They may also prey on small snakes, snails, slugs, beetles, rodents, and other garden pests.

It’s their preference for eating things that most others won’t, which makes them beneficial to a garden.

Unlike deer and small rodents, they are less destructive to gardens than many other animals, although they may occasionally eat ripe fruits or vegetables. They are more likely to scavenge fallen or overripe produce than to damage healthy growing crops.

What Do Opossums Eat?

The opossum’s diet may include the following:

• Pests, including disease-carrying ticks. Opossums may help reduce tick numbers by grooming ticks from their fur [4].
• Opossums sometimes prey on snakes, including venomous species. They also have partial resistance to certain snake venoms.
• Overripe fruit. If it’s on the ground, it’s fair game.
• Spoiled vegetables. The softer and more rotten they are, the more they like them.
• Carrion, including roadkill. They often chew bones and other calcium-rich materials.
• Outdoor pet food. They will eat both dog and cat food, whether wet or dry.
• They’re also as bad as raccoons at getting into unsecured garbage cans.
• They may feed from ground-level bird feeders.
• Small rodents, including mice and rats.
• They also eat earthworms and other soft-bodied invertebrates.
• Slugs and snails. Another opossum habit that benefits gardeners.
• Small amphibians, like frogs.
• Bird eggs and young birds. Opossums may raid ground nests for eggs or young birds.
• Do possums eat chickens? Yes. They will enter chicken coops to get young ones and eggs.

In extreme circumstances, they may also eat each other. Cannibalism is rare but may occur during extreme food shortages or stressful conditions.

Where Do They Sleep?

Opossums are mostly solitary animals that wander in search of food and shelter.

They use the abandoned burrows of other animals and sleep in hidden, secure areas as their habitat. These include hollow logs, tree cavities, under porches, in garages, crevices, and even caves made under stones, soil, and leaf litter.

Opossum Predators

• Snakes eat the baby opossums.
• Dogs will injure or even kill opossums, but not necessarily eat them.
• Foxes prey on many small animals, including opossums.
• Some people living in the southern U.S. states sometimes hunt them for food [5].
• Birds of prey — including eagles, falcons, owls, and ospreys.
• Coyotes also prey on slow-moving opossums.
• Wild cats may also prey on opossums.

Do They Carry Diseases?

Like many wild animals, opossums can carry parasites and diseases. However, they are considered less likely than many mammals to transmit rabies.

Takeaway

As you can see, opossums are very misunderstood animals who should be left alone to do their job as nature’s janitors. They have a very important job to do.