Possums, adaptable nocturnal marsupials, are common inhabitants across various environments, from woodlands to urban areas. They are classified as omnivores, as their diet encompasses both plant and animal matter, allowing them to consume a wide array of available food sources. While known for their opportunistic scavenging, fruits constitute a notable part of their natural intake, providing essential nutrients. Understanding their fruit preferences offers insight into their ecological role. Their adaptability contributes to their survival and widespread presence.
Fruits Possums Commonly Eat
Possums frequently consume various fruits, particularly those that are soft, sweet, and readily available in their environment. Apples, grapes, and pears are favored choices, valued for their taste and nutrition. These marsupials show a preference for ripe or fallen fruits, which are easier to access and digest. Berries such as blueberries, strawberries, raspberries, and blackberries are highly appealing due to their sweetness and soft texture. Possums will readily scavenge these fruits from bushes in both rural and urban settings.
Stone fruits like peaches, plums, apricots, and cherries are consumed when accessible, especially as they ripen and fall from trees. Figs are another highly preferred fruit, noted for their sweet taste and pulpy texture. Melons, including watermelon, cantaloupe, and honeydew, are also eaten by possums due to their soft, juicy flesh and easily edible rinds. These animals possess a keen sense of smell, which aids them in locating energy-dense fruits. They often seek out what is most abundant, whether orchard fruits or wild berries.
Fruits to Avoid Giving Possums
Certain fruits and fruit components can be harmful or toxic to possums. Avocado is a notable example, as it contains persin, a toxin that can cause digestive upset, including diarrhea and vomiting, and potentially more severe issues like respiratory and cardiac problems. This toxin is present in the fruit’s flesh, seed, leaves, and branches. Therefore, all parts of the avocado should be avoided.
Citrus fruits, such as oranges, lemons, and grapefruits, can also cause digestive problems for possums due to their high citric acid content. While some possums may occasionally nibble on citrus, excess consumption can lead to stomach discomfort and diarrhea. Large pits or seeds from stone fruits, such as peaches or plums, pose a choking hazard and some may contain compounds that convert to cyanide, making their removal advisable if offering these fruits. Feeding excessive amounts of high-sugar fruits can lead to health issues like obesity and dental problems, as their natural diet is not typically concentrated in such sugars.
Beyond Fruit A Possum’s Omnivorous Diet
Beyond fruits, a possum’s diet is diverse. Insects form a substantial part of their natural intake, including beetles, crickets, grasshoppers, and cockroaches, providing essential protein. This insectivorous habit makes them effective natural pest controllers, helping to manage insect populations. Small invertebrates like snails and slugs are also commonly consumed, further aiding in garden pest management.
Possums also consume carrion, which is a significant part of their diet and helps clean ecosystems by preventing the spread of disease. They are known to eat eggs from bird nests, and occasionally prey on small mammals like mice and rats, or even small birds, especially if they are young or injured. Their unique resistance to certain snake venoms also allows them to prey on snakes. Their need for calcium is met by consuming the skeletal remains of small animals, such as bones.
Plant matter beyond fruit also contributes to their sustenance. They forage on grasses, various leaves, and plant shoots, adapting their consumption based on seasonal availability. Fungi, seeds, and grains are additional components that diversify their diet. In urban settings, possums readily scavenge human food scraps, including pet food from outdoor bowls and discarded items from trash cans. This wide range of food sources enables possums to thrive in diverse habitats.