Opossums are classified as omnivores, meaning they consume both animal and plant matter. This broad dietary flexibility is a defining trait of the Virginia opossum, the only marsupial species found north of Mexico. Their feeding habits are opportunistic, allowing them to utilize nearly any available food source in their environment. This approach is foundational to their widespread success across North America.
What Opossums Eat for Protein
The animal matter component of the opossum’s diet is extensive, reflecting their role as opportunistic predators and scavengers. Invertebrates form a substantial part of this protein intake, including beetles, grasshoppers, earthworms, slugs, and snails. This insectivorous habit contributes significantly to ecosystem health by regulating pest populations.
Opossums also actively hunt or scavenge small vertebrates, such as mice, shrews, small birds, and their eggs. They possess a remarkable resistance to the venom of pit vipers like rattlesnakes and copperheads. This immunity, attributed to a specific neutralizing peptide in their blood, allows them to safely prey on or scavenge these snakes.
A large portion of their protein comes from carrion, or dead animals, which they find using their keen sense of smell. This scavenging behavior is especially noticeable in urban areas where they often consume roadkill. They will also readily eat skeletal remains to meet a high need for calcium.
The Plant-Based Elements of Their Diet
Opossums rely heavily on a wide variety of plant-based foods. The consumption of plant matter shifts seasonally, adapting to what is most available. In the late summer and fall, wild berries and fruits become a major dietary staple, helping them store fat reserves for colder months.
Beyond fruit, their diet includes grasses, roots, and nuts, which they forage for in the soil and leaf litter. In suburban environments, they readily consume cultivated items like grains and garden vegetables. Their diet reflects whatever resources are most abundant and accessible in their immediate surroundings.
How Their Diet Makes Them Survival Experts
The broad nature of the opossum’s diet is the greatest factor in its adaptability and survival across diverse habitats. Their opportunistic feeding allows them to colonize and thrive in environments where specialized feeders would quickly perish. This flexibility is evident in their success within urban and suburban areas.
In human-dominated landscapes, opossums easily exploit non-natural food sources. They frequently utilize unsecured garbage, compost piles, and outdoor pet food bowls. This ability to integrate human refuse makes them a highly resilient species capable of rapid range expansion.
Environmental Contributions
Opossums function as a natural clean-up crew due to their consumption of pests like ticks, slugs, and carrion. This behavior contributes significantly to environmental hygiene in every habitat they occupy.