Opossums

Opossums are mammals and marsupials with grayish fur, a white face, dark ears, and a long, hairless, prehensile tail. They usually grow to about 24–40 inches long, including their tail, and weigh between 4 and 14 pounds, making them roughly the same size as an average house cat! Opossums are mostly nocturnal, spending most of the day sleeping in their dens and being active at night to search for food. Opossums have opposable thumbs on their hind feet that help them climb trees and their prehensile tail helps them balance and grip branches. Opossums are not aggressive, so instead, they have a unique defense behavior known as “playing dead,” (also called thanatosis) where they become motionless and smelly to discourages predators. Their eyesight is limited, but their strong sense of smell and hearing help them survive and find food, especially in low-light conditions.

Opossums are omnivores and scavengers, meaning they eat both plants and meat, and eat what they can find. Instead of having to hunt down and attack prey, Opossums usually search for food at night, using their strong sense of smell! Opossums eat a wide variety of things like fruits, berries, insects, worms, snails, small animals (like lizards or frogs), eggs, and even carrion (animal carcasses). Opossums will forage all over the place along the ground, in trees, and they even in fallen logs and leaves. Young Opossums begin eating solid foods, like insects and soft fruits, as they grow and learn to forage alongside their mothers. Opossums have a slow metabolism, meaning their bodies burn calories at a slow rate. This means they are constantly needing to scavenge for good sources of nutrients.

Opossums are not listed as endangered, and are labelled “least concern” by conservation scientists. However, they still face many threats. Opossums have been given a bad reputation by people since they are scavengers, and they are sometimes blamed for problems they did not cause like the spread of diseases rabies, the knocking over of trash cans, or even the spread of ticks. Despite this, Opossums are not the cause of any of these issues, and are very important to all habitats and ecosystems. One of the biggest threats for Opossums is being struck by vehicles, since they often forage along roads at night. Habitat loss from development reduces safe shelter and food sources, pushing Opossums into closer contact with people. Other dangers include exposure to toxic pesticides, attacks from pets, and exposure to harsh winter conditions. Even with these challenges, Opossums continue to exist across much of North America.

Although Virginia Opossums are not endangered, they still need our help to protect their environment from further harm! Opossums share their habitats with many other species, and protecting forests, wetlands, and green spaces helps support healthy ecosystems for wildlife and people alike. Learn how you can help to support local conservation efforts that preserve natural areas, wildlife corridors, parks, and clean water sources!
You can also help by preventing the spread of invasive species! If you have a pet, you should never release it into the wild! They can disrupt delicate food webs and ecosystems. Instead, find a licensed wildlife expert or exotic animal sanctuary.
Most importantly, respect Opossums as wild animals! Opossums should never be fed or approached, even if they appear calm or injured. Giving them space reduces stress and helps keep both people and wildlife safe. If we all play our part, we can help keep Opossums healthy and thriving!