What do possums look like in Florida?

Appearance: Florida’s only marsupial, a mammal having a pouch for carrying the young, is the Virginia opossum. Opossums have grayish-white fur and are about the size of a house cat. They have long naked tails, small naked ears, and a pointed snout.

What do Florida opossums eat?

Whether rural, residential or in the wilderness, opossums are a benefit to any area they inhabit. Their diet includes all types of bugs and insects including cockroaches, crickets and beetles. They love snails and also eat mice and rats.

Where do Florida Possums sleep?

They are nocturnal (active at night), resting during daylight hours. Dens for daytime use include just about anything that provides shelter from the sun and poor weather. Opossums have been found in tree stumps, hollow logs, road culverts, attics and even gopher tortoise burrows.

Are Florida possums dangerous?

Are Opossums Dangerous? Opossums are mostly docile, aloof and rarely dangerous. When faced with a threat, opossums will often play dead by “playing possum.

Are possums dangerous to humans or pets?

Opossums become dangerous with their ability to transmit diseases to pets and people. Known to carry leptospirosis, tuberculosis, coccidiosis, spotted fever, tularemia, and other diseases, the pesky creatures pose serious health threats when they invade urban environments.

What are good things about opossums?

Opossums Are Important Allies In the Fight Against Lyme . Like most small and medium sized mammals, Opossums are hosts to ticks. What makes Opossums special is that they are extremely good at finding and killing most ticks that hop on looking for a blood meal.

What do possums eat and are they dangerous?

Possums are known to eat large proportions of eucalyptus leaves , ferns , grasses , fruits , mosses , and herbs . The possum can also eat highly toxic leaves. Unlike koalas, brushtail possums are probably the only arboreal marsupials to feed on different types of plants during their foraging journey.

Do possums have good eyesight?

Possums have good eyesight, good hearing and are good climbers. They live solitary and are nocturnal. When cornered they will hiss or “play dead” hence the old saying playing possum. Possums prefer to feed on insects, frogs, snakes, small mammals, earthworms, berries, corn, fish and garbage.