what are possums?

Question

what do they eat
where do they live

Answer 1

They are actually opossums. They usually have a hard time crossing the highway at night without getting hit.

Answer 2

"Possums" are Australian marsupials. There are several species, and they eat fruits vegetables flowers, and many other things, as they are omnivorous. Some of them are pests to homeowners, but they are protected as native species.
"Virginia opossums", also called "possums," are American marsupials. They live most everywhere in North America as far as I know, in wilderness areas and in cities too. They are also omnivorous, they eat a lot of stuff too. They are known to eat cat and dog food left out, they will totally rid the yard of garden snails, and pretty much make themselves useful; nevertheless many people consider them pests, maybe because they sometimes hole up in the attic or basement, maybe because of their slightly weird appearance, kind of like a giant pale rat with ruffly ears and dog-like teeth. They are famous for "playing dead;" i.e. falling into a seizure when frightened. This apparently protects them from predators that don't like to eat carrion. They don't carry any diseases that humans or pets can catch, as their body temperature is lower and they can't host our germs. They can bite, though, if cornered and if they don't faint.

Answer 3

Opossums have been around for a long long time. Most agree on about 50 million years.
They are in the marsupial family, which means the female carries her young in a pouch
until they are old enough to either be carried on her back or follow after her while in
training. Like raccoons and skunks they are nocturnal in nature, meaning they hunt at night
and sleep in the daytime.
These little animals are great survivors as they will eat almost anything from fallen fruit to
carion. However, they do not live very long, about two to three years, and have a nasty
habbit of dying under buildings. Broken vents, open holes under eaves, open crawl space
covers and small openings are the main access points for these creatures. They will live in
attics and under buildings, in garages and sheds to keep themselves and their babies warm
and dry.
Mating takes place in the winter months and gestation is 60 days. Some females will have
two litters in one year. When the babies are old enough to hang on the mother's back
sometimes they fall off and get separated from mom. They do not always find her and on
their own die of starvation. This will cause quite a smell which will drive most people out
of the house.
We use the cage trap for capturing all the critters living in your building.
When we have caught all of the animals causing problems we repair the places where they
have been entering the building with top grade materials and fastening methods.

What Do They Eat in the Wild??
The diet that the National Opossum Society recommends is based on several studies wherein the stomach contents of wild opossums were analyzed. All studies show variation in diet according to season and habitat.

The following table is drawn from one of those studies, published in The Murrelet, Spring 1980, authored by David D. Hopkins and Richard B. Forbes. The study was performed on road-killed opossums in and near Portland, Oregon.
mammals 27% leaf litter 11% fruits, seed, bulbs, etc. 10% gastropods 10% garbage 9% earthworms 9% pet food 9% grass, green leaves 8% insects 3% birds 3% misc. animal tissue 1%

Another study conducted in New York State in 1951 analyzed the stomach contents of 187 opossums. The study was conducted by W.J. Hamilton, Jr. and published the The Journal of Wildlife Management, Vol. 15, No. 3
Fruit 18.0% Amphibia 17.2% Mammals 14.2% Insects 13.4% Grasses 6.6% Worms 5.4% Reptiles 5.3% Birds 5.0% Carrion 4.8% misc. or Undetermined 6.7%

DISTRIBUTION AND ABUNDANCE

Prior to the European settlement of North America, the Virginia opossum was found only in Central America and the southeastern United States. During the 1900s, its range expanded northward and westward. Its northem distribution is limited by winter temperatures and its westem distribution is limited by dry, hot climates. The opossum has been introduced along the Pacific Coast and is currently found from southern Califomia to southwestern British Columbia.

Extreme southeastem Nebraska was part of the opossum's presettlement range and it is now common in southem and eastern Nebraska. In the Sandhills and Panhandle, opossums are restricted to major drainages such as the Loup, Niobrara and North Platte rivers.

Answer 4

Possums are rodent-esque marsupials native to North America. They have the ability to curl up in garbage cans and resemble a wad of lint. You know you've guessed wrong when you drop something in that garbage can on top of that "lint" and then a bunch of sharp little teeth appear, startling the crap out of you. Yeah, that happened to me once on the campus of Chattanooga State. I got the heck out of there, knowing that they're pretty good climbers and not knowing that they're generally not vicious.
They're also common roadkill fare because of their tendency to "play dead" during threatening situations.
Possums eat just about anything that isn't nailed down. Also, they can live everywhere from their natural woodland habitat to garbage cans.

Answer 5

Possums are native to Australia, we have wild ringtails & brushtails in our area. They are nocturnal and enjoy fruit, vegetables, flowers and certain types of eucalyptus gum leaves, it depends what species of Possum you are interested in to what their dietary requirements are.

They live in roofs, tree hollows - each species has different housing requirements.

We often help WIRES with their re-introduction back into the wild of Brushtail & Ringtail Possums

Answer 6

Natasha is right on,.. I gave a thumbs-up for her answer.

I fed a possum for 8 mths. in my carport a few yrs. ago,.. discovered the little guy/gal eating the food I put out for a stray cat,... actually eating right with the cat!!!
Named it "Opie".
It ate whatever I fed the cat,...then I fed it even dog chow when it was alone.
He/she came out like clockwork at dusk and be waiting,.. actually took videos of me feeding him/her. Then suddenly after 8 mths., he didn't come around again. (figured something happened, like got hit by car)

Since then a few others have been loitering around my property and living in shed,... along with skunks and raccoons and squirrels on my property. Commonplace here.
I live in Western Canada,.. British Columbia,... 4 hrs. from Seattle.

Since

Answer 7

i work at a zoo at we have virginia opossums. the opossum society has good info.
as far as working with them.... they can use a litter pan with water in it , they arent too bright, have 50 teeth and can bite!
i wouldnt want one as a pet
they are not reactive to venomous snake bites and normally are not a species that has rabies unlike raccoons or foxes.

Answer 8

i hope this website help you