Opossums are carnivorous marsupials that enjoy eating carrion, rodents, snakes, insects, snails, slugs, eggs with shells, frogs, fruit, garbage and plants.
Opossums can also be found in sewers, culverts, drainpipes, barns, woodpiles and under porches and buildings. They have excellent swimming abilities and will even dive underwater for food.
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They Kill Rattlesnakes
Opossums are not only incredibly helpful marsupials that can withstand 80 rattlesnake bites, but they’re also highly effective at keeping snakes away from humans due to their resistance to toxic chemicals found in snake venom.
Recent studies have demonstrated the beneficial properties of opossum blood, showing it can effectively neutralize many toxic components found in snake venom.
Researchers hope this capability will allow them to develop an affordable antivenom for rattlesnake bites. The cost of rattlesnake antivenom can be prohibitive for those who require multiple vials for survival; thus, developing an effective but cost-effective antivenom may be the way forward.
Opossums possess the unique capacity to produce a peptide antidote to snake venoms, which could potentially save lives if an effective and cost-effective antivenom is developed. Utilizing their biology, opossums could offer us this lifesaving medication at low costs.
They Kill Pit Vipers
Recent research revealed that opossums are capable of quickly dispelling pit vipers without suffering significant envenomation. This is likely due to a protein in their bodies which helps them resist anticoagulant effects caused by poison.
Researchers have also discovered that opossums can withstand up to 80 rattlesnake bites before succumbing. This feat is truly amazing for such a diminutive mammal, considering its brain-to-body ratio is the smallest of any North American mammal.
Opossums provide scientists with an invaluable resource when developing antivenom for humans. Their specific peptide neutralizes the venom of western diamondback rattlesnakes, potentially providing a cheaper and more effective treatment of snakebite. Researchers hope that by making this antivenom more accessible to those in need it will reduce hospitalizations due to snakebite.
They Kill Snakes in General
Opossums are omnivores, meaning they will eat almost anything; from frogs and mice to rats, cockroaches, birds, snakes and carrion. Additionally they enjoy fruit, nuts and grains as well.
They possess a prehensile tail that can wrap around branches and limbs, making them excellent climbers. Furthermore, they feed on many different kinds of insects and slugs, helping to control pest populations.
Opossums are the sole marsupial (pouched mammal) species found in North America and can weigh anywhere from six to 15 pounds. They usually live 24 inches in length.
They are nocturnal animals, meaning they move at night. Being able to see in the dark, these nocturnal creatures often run along roads in search of food at dusk.
They Kill Snakes at Night
Opossums are beneficial to roadways and neighborhoods by eating carcasses, garbage and other litter. They’re also effective at controlling rodents, insects and slugs.
Opossums also prey on ticks that spread Lyme disease, with one opossum being capable of eating up to 5,000 ticks in one season.
Opossums are nocturnal mammals that travel from den to den at night in search of food. They build dens near water, in rock crevices or under structures.
Opossums have developed an ingenious defense mechanism called “playing possum.” To scare away predators, they display this defensive technique by drawing back their lips, showing their teeth, and producing foul-smelling saliva.
Opossums can feign death for up to two hours before they regain consciousness. This behavior helps them avoid being eaten by dogs, coyotes, bobcats and raptors that do not enjoy carrion eating; it also deters pythons from attacking. If you see an opossum playing dead, please move it to a secure location and wait at least four hours before disposing of it.
