The opossum is North America’s only native marsupial. These adaptable creatures are found across a wide range of environments, from forests to urban settings. Possessing a prehensile tail and opposable thumbs on their hind feet, they are adept climbers, though they do not typically hang upside down by their tails for extended periods. Opossums are solitary animals, generally active after dark, and are known for their unique defense mechanism of “playing possum” when threatened.
Do Possums Eat Snakes?
Opossums do consume snakes, including venomous species such as rattlesnakes and copperheads. This consumption is often opportunistic, meaning they will eat snakes when encountered, especially if the snake is small or injured. Their diet includes snakes as part of a varied array of prey.
While they are known to eat snakes, they are not specialized snake hunters and may avoid larger, more dangerous snakes. However, their ability to tolerate snake venom allows them to prey on these reptiles without succumbing to the toxins. This makes them a unique predator in temperate deciduous forest ecosystems, helping to regulate snake populations.
How Possums Handle Snakes
Opossums possess a remarkable natural resistance to the venom of many snakes, particularly pit vipers. Their blood contains proteins that can neutralize the toxic components of snake venom.
Research has identified a specific peptide in their blood serum, Lethal Toxin Neutralizing Factor (LTNF), responsible for this antivenom property. This peptide binds to and neutralizes various toxins, allowing the opossum to survive bites that would be lethal to other animals of similar size. Scientists are actively studying these proteins with the goal of developing new and more affordable antivenom therapies for humans. This ability has evolved over millions of years, likely as an adaptation that allowed them to utilize snakes as a food source.
Other Dietary Habits
Beyond snakes, opossums are omnivores, consuming a wide range of plant and animal matter. Their diet includes insects like crickets, beetles, cockroaches, slugs, snails, and ticks, making them effective natural pest controllers. They also feed on small rodents, birds, frogs, lizards, and their eggs.
Opossums are known scavengers, readily consuming carrion, which helps clean up ecosystems and prevents the spread of disease. Their feeding extends to fruits, berries, grains, and human food scraps found in garbage or pet food left outdoors. This varied diet underscores their ability to thrive in diverse habitats.