


They immediately crawl into the mother's pouch to continue developing. The babies, called joeys, are about the size of jelly beans when they are born. After a gestation of just 12 to 13 days, female opossums, called jills, give birth to up to 20 live young at a time. Once mating is done, the male, called a jack, leaves and doesn't return. These marsupials breed much like other mammals.

It was thought that once the babies were born, the mother would sneeze the babies into her pouch. It was once thought that the reason for this physical feature was that they bred with the female's nose.

In the city they will eat roadkill and garbage. They will also hunt insects, mice, wild birds, snakes, worms and chickens. In the wild, they will munch on nuts, grass and fruit. They are omnivores, which means they eat both vegetation and meat, and they aren't picky. Opossums are known for scavenging though trash. In the summer, they will lick themselves and cover their fur in spit to keep cool, according to the Animal Diversity Web. They live in burrows that they fill with dry leaves or even shredded paper, and fat reserves help keep them warm. Learn more about Oppossum Removal.Though they don't hibernate, opossums do slow down during the winter. Individuals with opossum problems should contact our experts as soon as possible to handle the issue before it gets out of control. The wildlife professionals at Critter Control attack the problem head on and work quickly to restore peace in homes and yards. Trapping is problematic due to relocation issues, and unless the habitat is modified, new opossums will invade. The risk of sickness and property destruction from opossums is cause for immediate removal of the pesky critters. Owners of horses should be aware of the dangers associated with opossums that carry a protozoan known as Sarcocystis neurona, which can lead to neurologic disease in equines. Known to carry leptospirosis, tuberculosis, coccidiosis, spotted fever, tularemia, and other diseases, the pesky creatures pose serious health threats when they invade urban environments.įurthermore, opossums serve as host animals to fleas, ticks, lice, and mites, which puts dogs and cats at risk of becoming infested with these parasites. Opossums become dangerous with their ability to transmit diseases to pets and people. So opossums could be a signs of another wildlife problem. The pesky critters disrupt homes, gardens, chicken coops, and areas reserved for pets while rummaging for food. Their omnivorous diet includes insects, small rodents, frogs, birds, and berries. Mostly considered minor nuisances, opossums become problematic when they decide to nest and forage near residential and commercial areas. More commonly, the opossums pretend to be dead and emit an awful stench from their anal glands when frightened. Generally, no opossums are not directly dangerous to people. When encountered directly, the creatures hiss and growl.Opossum attacks are rare and unlikely. When Should You Be Concerned About Zoonotic Diseases From Nuisance Wildlife? Tab will move on to the next part of the site rather than go through menu items. Enter and space open menus and escape closes them as well. Up and Down arrows will open main level menus and toggle through sub tier links. Left and right arrows move across top level links and expand / close menus in sub levels. The site navigation utilizes arrow, enter, escape, and space bar key commands.
