About Opossums - MSPCA-Angell

Home » What Are Opossums Good For » About Opossums - MSPCA-Angell

Maybe your like

    Contact $Donate Vet Services Report CrueltyReport Cruelty Animal AdvocacyAnimal Advocacy Adopt
    • Programs & Resources
    • How to Help
& Languages
  • How to Help
    • ADVOCATE FOR ANIMALS
    • CONNECT WITH US
    • VOLUNTEER OR FOSTER
    • START A FUNDRAISER
    • UPCOMING FUNDRAISERS
  • Report Cruelty
  • Search
  • & Languages
  • Adopt

    All Adoption Centers

    • Boston
    • Nevins Farm
    • Cape Cod
    • Northeast
    • Lost or Found a Pet?

    Search Adoptable Animals

    Give a pet the home they deserve. Find yours today.

    Pay It Forward Adoption Fund

    Help us find homes for more animals by subsidizing adoption fees!

    Wishlist

    Donate animal care items to our Adoption Centers!

  • Veterinary Care

    Services

    • Boston Services

      Boston Services

      • 24/7 Emergency & Critical Care
      • Anesthesiology
      • Avian and Exotic Medicine
      • Behavior
      • Blood Bank
      • Cardiology
      • Dentistry
      • Dermatology
      • Diagnostic Imaging
      • Grief Counseling
      • Grooming
      • Healthy Boarding
      • I-131 Therapy
      • Internal Medicine
      • Neurology
      • Nuclear Medicine
      • Oncology
      • Ophthalmology
      • Pathology
      • Pharmacy
      • Primary Care/Wellness
      • Surgery
      • Synovetin OA®
    • Waltham Services

      Waltham Services

      • 24/7 Emergency and Critical Care
      • Avian and Exotic Medicine
      • Behavior
      • Cardiology
      • Dermatology
      • Diagnostic Imaging
      • Internal Medicine
      • Pharmacy
      • Primary Care/Wellness
      • Surgery
      • Urgent Care
    • Angell at Essex

      Angell at Essex Services

      • Primary Veterinary Care
      • Spay/Neuter Services
      • Vaccinations
      • Surgery and Dental Services
      • Veterinary Clinic for Low-Income Pet Owners and the General Public
      • Discounted Services for Low-Income Clients
    • 24/7 Emergency Service
    • Urgent Care
    • Low-Cost Community Clinics
    • Request an Appointment

    Client Information

    • What to Expect – Angell Boston
    • Client Rights and Responsibilities
    • Payments / Financial Assistance
    • Pharmacy
    • Client Policies
    • Our Doctors
    • Grief Support / Counseling
    • Directions and Parking
    • Helpful “How-to” Pet Care

    Online Payments

    Referrals

    • Referral Forms/Contact
    • Referring Veterinarian Portal
    • Clinical Articles
    • Partners in Care Newsletter

    CE, Internships & Alumni Info

    CE Seminar Schedule

    • Weekly CEs
    • Lunch and Learn CEs

    Emergency: Boston

    • 617-522-7282
    • Directions

    Emergency: Waltham

    • 781-902-8400
    • Directions

    Poison Control Hotline

    • 888-426-4435
  • Programs & Resources
    • Volunteer or Foster
    • Surrender an Animal
    • Animal Advocacy
    • Law Enforcement
    • Wildlife Resources
    • Humane Education
    • Lost or Found a Pet?
    • Pet Corner Blog

    Animal Training & Behavior

    View all of our rewards-based training classes available.

    Spay/Neuter Programs

    We offer several low-cost spay/neuter programs to reduce overpopulation.

    Community Outreach

    We provide affordable and accessible animal care resources to families in underserved communities.

  • Careers

    Careers Overview

    What is it like to work for the MSPCA-Angell?

    Current Job Openings

    See our current job openings and apply.

    Benefits

    Check out the benefits we offer our employees.

  • Donate Now Donate NowOther Ways to Donate Tribute, Memorial, or Honor Giving
Contact $Donate

MSPCA-Angell Headquarters

350 South Huntington Avenue, Boston, MA 02130 (617) 522-7400 Email Us

Angell Animal Medical Centers – Boston

350 South Huntington Avenue, Boston, MA 02130 (617) 522-7282 [email protected] More Info

Angell West

293 Second Avenue, Waltham, MA 02451 (781) 902-8400 For on-site assistance (check-ins and pick-ups): (339) 970-0790 [email protected] More Info

Angell at Essex

565 Maple Street, Danvers, MA 01923 (978) 304-4648 [email protected] More Info

Animal Care and Adoption Centers – Boston

350 South Huntington Avenue, Boston, MA 02130 (617) 522-5055 More Info

Animal Care and Adoption Centers – Cape Cod

1577 Falmouth Road, Centerville, MA 02632 (508) 775-0940 More Info

Animal Care and Adoption Centers – Nevins Farm

400 Broadway, Methuen, MA 01844 (978) 687-7453 More Info

Animal Care and Adoption Centers – Northeast Animal Shelter

347 Highland Ave., Salem, MA 01970 (978) 745-9888 More Info

Donate Now

Donate

More Ways to Donate

From an online gift to a charitable gift annuity, your contribution will have a significant impact in the lives of thousands of animals.

Learn More About Opossums

The opossum is a medium-sized mammal, about the size of a house cat, with gray to black fur, a pink nose, naked ears, and an almost hairless prehensile tail (able to grasp, hold, or wrap around). They are North America’s only marsupial. They are solitary, slow-moving animals who are most active at night, when they wander randomly searching for food.

Although they are excellent climbers and have been known to live in tree cavities, they prefer to den on the ground in old woodchuck burrows, brush/wood piles, and even in spaces under decks or patios. Opossums are omnivorous and are beneficial to humans because they cause very little damage and they consume insects, snails, and slugs.

The many beneficial qualities of opossums include:

  • Keeping neighborhoods clear of pests like cockroaches, rats, and mice.
  • Reducing the Lyme-disease carrying tick population, by eating nearly 95% of ticks that cross their path.
  • Controlling venomous species of snakes, which is possible because of their resistance to venom.
  • Having an extremely low risk of contracting rabies!
  • Keeping gardens blooming by eating snails, slugs, and fallen, overripe fruit.

Opossums are usually shy and harmless animals, but they do have two main defense mechanisms. First, if an opossum is frightened and unable to flee, she may display her teeth and hiss. Although this behavior might appear fierce, it is usually just a warning. Second, if they feel they are in real danger, they might “play possum” and have the appearance of being dead. When the opossum feels that they are no longer in danger, they will revive themselves and move on.

The life span of opossums is very short, averaging 1-2 years. A four-year old wild opossum is a rarity. The average female probably lives through one breeding season in which time she may raise two litters of approximately a dozen young. Once born, the young instinctively crawl upward into the mother’s pouch where they will nurse for approximately fifty days. When they grow to be approximately 3 to 4 inches long, they crawl out of their mother’s pouch and ride around on their mother’s back. If they fall off, their mother may not notice because they are so small. If very young opossums are found, a wildlife rehabilitator should be contacted because they may be orphaned and too young to survive on their own. They are independent of their mother at about three months old. These large litters help accommodate for the high mortality rate opossums face.

POSSIBLE CONFLICTS & SOLUTIONS

Around Horses – Equine Protozoal Myeloencephalitis (EPM)

Equine protozoal myeloencephalitis (EPM) is caused by the protozoal parasites Sarcocystis neurona and Neospora hughesi, although most cases are due to S. neurona. The definitive host for S. neurona is the opossum, and horses become infected when they ingest feed or water contaminated with opossum feces. In areas where the opossum is common, approximately 50% of horses are seropositive (have antibodies to the parasite in the blood), indicating exposure to the organism. Opossums shed the infective sporocysts (egg-like stages of development) in their feces. An estimated 50-90% of horses in the U.S. have been exposed to the organism, but only a small percentage (typically <1%) develop EPM. A thorough neurologic examination and diagnostic testing are required to distinguish between EPM and other neurologic diseases that can have similar clinical signs. Learn more about this parasite from UC Davis Center for Equine Health.

Around Your Home

If an opossum has taken up residence under your home or shed, the first step is to encourage the opossum to move on with mild harassment techniques. Place loose leaves or loose straw in the entranceway of the den, place items with a human scent (e.g., old shoes or dirty socks) at least two feet away from and not blocking the entrance to the den, or turn a radio on a few feet from the entrance to the den. The opossum should move on in a day or so, but this depends on how quickly she can find a safe replacement den nearby.

Exclusion using a one-way door is easy and effective. You simply wait until approximately two hours after dark when the opossum should be out foraging, and loosely close the opening with netting, straw, a one-way door, or other material. This way an animal inside can easily push his way out but an animal on the outside will not be able to regain entry.

If an opossum has entered your house or a building, these slow-moving animals can be guided out with a broom to gently nudge them along to an open door.

If an opossum is seen in a yard or neighborhood, the best thing to do is to be patient since she will most likely move on within a short time without the need for human intervention.

While it is not common for opossums to raid garbage cans or gardens, you should discourage visits by opossums and other urban wildlife by purchasing trash containers with secure lids or using bungee cords to secure trash container lids, and picking up food bowls if your pets have been fed outdoors.

PUBLIC HEALTH CONCERNS

Opossums are susceptible to a variety of diseases but their role in transmitting these to humans is uncertain. Similar to all warm-blooded animals, rabies occurs in opossums but it is very rare.

MSPCA OPOSSUM FACT SHEET pdf

Categories

  • Action Center
  • Animal Action Team
  • Animal Welfare
    • Circus Animal Welfare
    • Companion Animal Welfare
    • Farm Animal Welfare
    • Lab Animal Welfare
  • How to Pass a Law
    • Contact Your Legislators
    • Get to Know Your Legislators
  • Legislation
    • Federal Legislation
    • Past Legislative Successes
    • State Legislation
  • Wildlife Resources
    • Conflict Prevention
    • Species Information

Who We Are

  • Contact Us
  • Careers
  • History
  • Leadership

What We Do

  • About Us
  • Our Mission
  • Why Prevent Cruelty?
  • Publications
  • Annual Reports

Resources

  • Spay/Neuter
  • Dog Training
  • Report Cruelty
  • Lost/Found Pet?

Donate

  • Ways to Donate
  • Manage Your Gift
  • Donor Recognition

Connect With Us

Newsletter Sign Up © 2025 The MSPCA–Angell |

Privacy | Search Site

| Print this page | Website design by Accomplish a Boston Web Design Agency The MSPCA-Angell is a 501(C)(3) Nonprofit registered in the US under EIN: 04-2103597.

Tag » What Are Opossums Good For