Possums' feeding habits … Possums have a massive taste pallet compared to many other animals. They particularly are scared of dogs, foxes, or bobcats, so they play dead to protect themselves. The bare-tailed opossum likely consumes nectar, fruits, reptiles, birds, gum and vegetables. Virginia Opossums Get a Bad Rap People often blame them for things they didn’t do such as tipping garbage cans or killing chickens. Opossums benefit humans in many ways, helping control a number of unwanted pests. 11 things you didn't know about opossums ... which incites them to eat the skeletons of rodents and roadkill they consume. Ultimate Guide to Opossum’s Diet and its Food Preferences – Get to Know Diet of All Types of Opossums Bare-tailed Woolly Opossum Diet. Possums are omnivores and will eat almost anything, but they have a preference for fruit, insects and carrion. So, what do possums eat? In case you actually want to take steps to kill possums or remove them, make sure that they are really dead prior to picking one up! They will eat other animals if those animals are already dead. Opossums will eat almost anything including, but not limited to: over-ripe fruit. Basically they will eat whatever is available including fruit, snakes, insects, slugs, eggs, rats and mice, fish, frogs and the meat of other dead animals. They also do not carry much body fat. In residential neighborhoods, opossums forage for vegetables, fruits, garbage, bird seed, and pet food. Opossums also eat … Possums also scavenge for roadkill and garbage. However, this is not a recommended method of feeding a possum. Their omnivorous diet includes insects, small rodents, frogs, birds, and berries. Possums are timid, preferring not to interact with live animals. Will Possums Eat Dead Rabbits? Possums' feeding habits range … The old southern wive’s tale about ‘possums eatin’ dead folks, however, is just that. People tend to think Opossums are unclean and disease ridden but it is actually just the opposite. Possums like to eat fruits, plants, seeds, buds, and small vertebrates. Opossums usually don’t tip the trash cans or dig up gardens but they often stop to clean up the mess left by another animal and get all the blame. Some data indicate opossums eat thousands of … This possum is playing dead to hide from the dog. Possums are mainly herbivores (plant eaters), favouring eucalyptus and other leaves, ferns, buds, flowers and fruits. They’re omnivores, which means they enjoy eating plants and meat as well. The chickens always give them room. Do not handle the body in a way that will cause injury or harm to the opossum. Opossums are extremely clean. They do not store food in cache locations the way that squirrels do. Possums are immune to most snake venom which is good since snakes are on the menu. Whether you’re trying to trap one or you’re merely curious, you’re in the right place! The deceased are buried in coffins. One source notes their need for high amounts of calcium. They will get into your garden and eat strawberries or other fruit that they find there, and most likely they will climb over your fence rather than digging under it to gain access. Though possums are often considered a pest that needs to be removed from a home or neighborhood, wildlife experts attest that, in urban areas, possums are beneficial as rodent and carrion eaters. Because of this, the Bi-State Wildlife Hotline has tips for dealing with an opossum that may or may not be dead. Basically they will eat whatever is available including fruit, snakes, insects, slugs, eggs, rats and mice, fish, frogs and the meat of other dead animals. Recently all the possums caught in our Timms traps have been well and truly gutted by the next morning when we find them. A possum will pick the meat from skeletal remains. Ringtail possums are considered folivores, which means they eat mainly leaves. Video Title: Wild Opossum Playing Dead (Fremont, California) Video File Created Date: 11 October 2016 (Video may or may not have been captured on this date, it …