OPOSSUM PREDATORS: WHAT ANIMALS EAT OPOSSUMS?

The opossum is an omnivorous animal and will eat almost anything that it can find. Opossums mainly feed on insects, frogs, birds, snakes, small mammals, and earthworms. The opossum is also a great scavenger and will feed on leftover kills of other animals along with road-kill. Opossums, although small creatures, (around the same size as the average house cat) actually have a number of predators, and they also have a couple of very interesting ways to deal with them when they do come around. For example, you would expect your cat or dog to be a natural predator for this creature, especially if it happens to wander onto their territory at the yard. However, with a set of razor sharp teeth, strong sharp claws, and a brain that is considered to be much smarter than that of a dog, it would seem as if the animal itself is actually well equipped to deal with anything bigger than itself.

This is not to say that the opossum doesn't have predators, of course, and in fact, even smaller animals can outsmart this opossum. Owls, for example, are one of the natural predators of the opossum, and that is before you even begin to think about coyotes, foxes, large dogs, bobcats and even house pets. The thing about the opossum is that it has become very smart in its many years in the wild, and is more than likely going to end up as road kill to a passing car, or die from disease as it is to a predator, and with its uncanny ability to play dead when it has been cornered or threatened, it actually makes the animal believe that it has in fact won, when really it is just sleeping!

Of course, one of the most dangerous predators to the opossum is humans! With horrific poisoning methods, houses that trap them, and traps that we don't know how to use properly, against us, the opossum really doesn't stand a chance. However, it still manages to outsmart most of us from time to time, much to our annoyance!

The opossum has a number of natural predators in its environment although the main predators of the opossum are birds of prey such as owls and eagles, dogs, foxes and cats . Humans are one of the main predators of the opossum as they hunt them for meat but the opossum is also commonly killed on the roads by cars.

Some of the predators of Virginia opossums are owls, coyotes, hawks, and foxes. Unlike adults, the young possums are most likely to fall prey to potential predators. Young opossums have predators such as birds of prey particularly eagles and falcons. Snakes and pythons also eat possums.

Other possum predators are dogs, feral cats, raccoons, bobcats, Rufous Owl, Spotted-tailed Quoll, raptors, great horned owls, and snakes not to mention humans. Australian possums can fall prey to dingoes, cats, foxes, and pythons. In Australia, large birds of prey seldom prey on possums.

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