Are opossum's a dangerous animal and if so how dangerous?

Question

I livr in a small country town. I have a opposum in my house. How dangerous is this i need to know because i cannot catch the thing to get it out of my house.

Answer 1

well, i would call animal control. they can carry leprosy so you don't want to touch it. it shouldn't attack you or anything, though. they don't see well at all (almost blind actually). just try to pen it up and call animal control.

Answer 2

They are dangerous if cornered in the sense they have claws and teeth and will fight if need be. Also, if you have a mama with little ones, she'll try and defend them. I stumbled upon a nest with a mama and her brood accidentally, and she responded by hissing and baring teeth. Gave me time to get away, and gave her time to vacate. In other words, she didn't act like, say, a bear and attack with no warning. The best way is to find out where it's getting in/out, wait 'til it leaves, then close up the opening. You'll have to do it at night because they're noctournal. If it's a mother and she has young ones in the nest, she'll try like mad to get back in and may get destructive. If she can't, the young will die and then you'll have THAT mess to deal with. I'm not sure what the mating season is, and it's late in the summer, so that may not be an issue. Good luck.

Answer 3

They can bite if cornered, but otherwise are not dangerous. They do not even carry any diseases that humans can catch, because their body temperature is lower. Opossums don't like light or noise, so maybe you can rig a light and radio where the opossum lives and convince it to move out. By the way, if you have opossums you won't have snails.

Answer 4

The opossum is not poisonous and any wild animal that has mouth parts can be very dangerous. You might call some "pest control" people to get ideas about getting the animal out.

Answer 5

When the opposum leaves, gather the young ones and leave them where she can see them. SO when she returns she can take them. Also seal the opening through which she enters with wire mesh or wood.

I had one at my house. It looks like a creature out of a horror movie. Finally it took its kids on its back and it turned and looked at me. It was a rainy night and I shone my flashlight on the roof. It looked terrifying to see the creature's face with so many sharp teeth. It was going upward on the roof with its babies clinging on its back (i guess). Scary animal. Or call the Animal Control people.

Answer 6

They are dangerous. You should put a trap in the house and you should have no problems catching it. They are good to eat so you can get a decent meal out of it. I par boil it to get the skin and fur off it,season with garlic, lemon pepper, and Tony Cacher's cajun seasoning, then bake it 350.00 for an hour. I serve butternut squash on the side,. yum, yum

Answer 7

They DO NOT carry rabies, but you want to make sure you don't get bit.

Here is a cool website on Opposums. Maybe contact them about it and they can give you ideas on safely capturing him and releasing him back in the wild.
http://www.opossum.org/

Answer 8

For 1 they carry rabies and for 2 they will tear the s**t out of you. Call animal control or the humane society if it really is in your house. And the easiest way is call the police if you don't have anything to hide in your house. (I've seen them get rid of snakes and alligators on COPS before).

Answer 9

They are dangerous in the wild. Call your local wildlife an fisheries department. If it feels threatened in may attack depending on how close you get.

Answer 10

They are very dangerous if you have horses around. They can carry a parasite that can cause a spinal disorder in horses called EPM.

Answer 11

Call your animal control department in the county you live in. They carry disease, which can harm humans. Do not try to handle by yourself, call a professional...Good Luck...