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Are Opossums Dangerous? Facts and Behavior of Opossums

Are opossums dangerous? The facts and behavior of opossums discussed in this article seem to cover all areas that might interest you. There’s every possibility to find an opossum around the human environment as a result, it is important you know the different kinds of pests that infest your surroundings and the kind of danger they possess.

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In this article, as you read on the shocking facts about opossums are revealed and the question Are opossums Dangerous? Is answered. As we proceed, we will be helping you understand what opossums is, in case this is your first time of hearing about this pest.

 

Read also: Green Bottle Fly: All You Need To Know About Green Bottle Fly

 

What is Opossum?

An opossum is classified into the scavenger category, they love feeding on fruits, nuts, and grasses. They prey on chicks, snakes, birds, insects, mice, and worms this make them classified as a biological pest control agent. In the human environment, they are seen to build a habitat in refuse dump areas, trash can and abandon places.

 

Read also: Cockroaches; Facts About 8 Different Types of Cockroaches

 

Shocking Facts About Opossum

In our previous paragraph, we explained what an opossum is. However, the fact about an opossum is that these pests belong to 19 different genera having more than 105 species. It is botanically known as marsupial in the didelphimorphia order, they are considered as the largest and bigger survivors in this order.

An opossum can survive in different weather conditions and locations and it would still exhibit 100% reproductive, and biological characteristics.

Appearances: The opossum is a small looking creature, it is similar in size to bush rat for young ones and the adults are similar in size to a common house cat.

Mode of Feeding: An opossum seems to be semi-arboreal omnivores though they are several limitations.

As a mammal, they have 50 sets of teeth which are the incisors, canines, and the tricuspid known as the molars and they are all over their jaw being similar to the human teeth. They feed on grasses, fruits, and nuts.

Location: The opossum is found in places where containers are stacked, trash cans and dumpsters. They originated from the Southern Hemisphere in the United State and they are the ancestors of Southern American mammal faunas.

They also encamp the sparassodonts, pauituberculatans, and metatherians groups. Due to climate change, most of the opossum groups are no longer in existence.

Reproduction: When mating, the female has a reproductive system in which the vagina is divided into two parts, they are the marsupium and the uterus which seem to be in the form of a bag.

After mating, it takes a period of 28 days to complete the total estrous stage, proceeding into the placenta stage but in this stage, it doesn’t take quite a long time.

After the placenta stage, the young opossum is born, at the gestation stage which takes about a week and two days to two weeks, being nurtured by the mother the young marsupial begins to grow.

Life Cycle: The lifecycle of an opossum is between 70 to 125 days after the female opossum is done with reproduction, though as many as 15 young marsupials. When the up to the age of 12 months to 24 months they begin to go out for hunting and they begin to build habitat and reproduce all over again.

 

Picture of An Opossum

For a clearer understanding, below is a picture of an opossum:

Picture of An Opposum
Picture of An Opossum

 

Read also: How Long Do French Bulldogs Live? The Lifespan of French Bulldogs

 

Are Opossums Dangerous? – Behavior of Opossum

Opossums are known to be hunt other animals, but they possess no threat to human health. However, they are often blamed for slaughtering chickens, something that happens infrequently.

At the point when undermined or hurt, they will “feign unconsciousness”, impersonating the appearance and smell of a wiped out or dead creature. This physiological reaction happens immediately, instead of a silly demonstration.

On account of the infant opossums, the cerebrum doesn’t generally respond along these lines at a specified time, and they often neglect to “play dead” when threatened.

At the point when an opossum is “feigning unconsciousness”, the creature’s lips are stepped back, the teeth are exposed, spit froths around the mouth, the eyes close or half-close, and it produces a fluid which is harmful from the butt-centric organs.

The hardened, twisted structure can be pushed, turned over, and even diverted without response. The creature will ordinarily recover awareness after a time of a couple of moments to four hours, a procedure that starts with a slight jerking of the ears.

 

Conclusion

An opossum is not forceful creature, their open-mouth, guarded murmuring is just a feign to look awful. What’s more, if that doesn’t work they play dead when truly terrified!

On the off chance that there is an opossum in the yard, don’t stress. They aren’t a danger, and more than likely they will be proceeding onward in a brief time.

The most ideal approach to shield them from visiting is to have tight-fitting covers on trash jars, not to leave any pet nourishment outside medium-term and to make sure to get any organic product that has tumbled from trees.

In any case, a long way from being a disturbance, opossums can be valuable for your nursery, eating snails, slugs, creepy crawlies and in some cases even little rodents. They’ll even tidy up spilled trash and natural product that has tumbled off trees.

 

Having taken your time to go through this article, we believe that when next you hear or come across this query “Are opossums dangerous?” you will be able to perfectly get over it. For further contributions and help feel free to contact us or drop a comment below.

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