As spring approaches and the weather gets warmer, more people are spending their time outside, taking strolls through the yard or woods. The more you spend your time outdoors, the higher the risk of interacting with wildlife. You might spot raccoons, cats, and other creatures, but when you spot an opossum, you might panic.
Understandably, the rat-like marsupials have striking features that make them look like they are going to attack. From having beady eyes to scaly hairless tails, an opossum might have a bad reputation. Unfortunately, the hate or bad reputation is misplaced. Far from disease-carrying pests, the humble opossum serves as a vital niche in our ecosystem. Read on to learn more about the humble opossum.
What Is an Opossum?
Opossums are North America’s marsupials. Despite their striking resemblance with rodents, they are more related to kangaroos than they are to rats. They live alone and are active mostly at night. Though they are related to kangaroos, they are much slower.
The opossum is a common prey to larger predators such as coyotes and domestic dogs. As part of its survival mechanism, an opossum has a prehensile tail and opposable thumbs to make them climb proficiently by grasping tree branches.
When threatened by a predator, opossums hiss and snarl at first. If the defenses do not scare off the attacker, they play ‘possum’ – they feign death for deception. They will lay down, remain lifeless, producing a nauseating odor. Playing possum makes the aggressor less likely to attack.
Due to their small size, they easily hide in tree cavities and crevices. Opossums prefer environments that are near the swamps. However, they can also live in diverse areas, ranging from arid to moist, forested to open fields. Generally, opossums will choose environments with proximity to food and water.
Opossums Are Largely Misunderstood
Contrary to popular belief, opossums are clean, gentle, and downright neighborly. They don’t ravage chicken coops, attack cats, or ransack trash cans. Opossums will scavenge opportunistically, partaking of the spoils of other animals’ fresh kills.
Although their lifestyle habit makes them appear as prime hosts for rabies, they cannot contract the disease, much less transmit it. However, they can be infested with fleas and mites, especially in an urban setup.
Humble Opossums Are a Natural, Effective Pest Control
Opossums do not only scavenge, they also hunt down smaller life forms such as mice, rats, snails, and slugs that can wreak havoc on your garden. Furthermore, they eat any windfalls that litter the ground under a fruit. A rotting fruit attracts earwigs, fruit flies, and other bothersome bugs.
Humble opossums also have a taste for ticks. Some ticks carry life-threatening illnesses like Lyme disease. The good news is that an opossum kills nearly 95% of the ticks that cross its path. In a single season, an opossum can wipe out thousands of ticks. Due to their nomadic tendencies, they can cover a large area, cleaning up lots of ticks.
Opossums Can Be a Nuisance
When opossums find their way into your house, they might hide in attics and garages where they may construct messy nests. They are also notorious for damaging ductwork or insulation if they get access to the interior of your house. When hunting down rodents, they can easily damage lawns.
Reach Out to Shumaker’s Animal Control Today
Opossums are great marsupials, but when taking up shelter in your house, they might cause significant destruction. If you suspect an opossum infestation in your home, contact a licensed pest professional at Shumaker’s Animal Control to inspect your property and develop an opossum removal plan.
We do not believe in killing wild animals; therefore, we will carry out safe and humane removal of the opossums from your property. Feel free to check out our services and contact us today at 443-854-8072 to see how we can help.