Critters in the News
- "Wild Pigs are becoming
larger and more
aggressive"-
DISCOVERY CHANNEL - "House Fire in
Altemonte Springs
caused by squirrels"-
ORLANDO SENTINEL - "Raccoons attack
woman in Lakeland"-
TAMPA SUN TIMES - "Rats overrun Orlando
International Airport
despite efforts to
erradicate them"-
LAKE MARY REPORTER - "New Orleans 2 Year Old
dies from blood loss
caused by rat bites"-
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Opossums
Virginia Opossums (or common opossums) are mainly solitary animals, scavenging their way to survival in both urban and rural
areas. Aside from eating trash and road kill in an urban community, attics and crawlspaces make for safe places to hideout
from rain, predators and us. Once an opossum has moved in, it'll stick around as long as food and water is readily available,
and in Central Florida, that could be a while.
Virginia Opossums in Central Florida (didelphis virginiana) are one of a large number of opossums of the order
didelphimorphia found in the Western Hemisphere and the first of the order to be given the name 'opossum.' They span all
of the United States and into Canada but are most commonly found in the southeast.
Opossums appear similar to rats but are not at all closely related. Their fur is white on their faces and peppered with grey
and black along their back and paws. Adult opossums are typically 15-20 inches long and 9 to 13 lbs, making the Virginia
opossums the largest of the opossums. They're also characterized by their long, hairless, prehensile tails which young can
use to hang upside down, but once an opossum reaches adulthood, the tail is used mainly for balance. Opossums also have
50 very sharp teeth, the most teeth of any mammal on land.
Habitat
In the wild an opossum will nest in a number of dark, cool spots within its territorial area. An opossum will put together
numerous nests within a relatively small territory and move from spot to spot for 6 months to a year or until the food and
water resources are exhausted. It's not uncommon for wild opossums to move into hollow trees or the unused burrows of
other animals. In urban settings, however, these can be replaced with garages, attics, or under crawlspaces and decks.
Food Habits
Opossums are omnivores with a preference for meat. Their diet typically consists of carrion, fruits and vegetables,
mushrooms, insects, snakes, worms and eggs. If available, opossums will also eat mammals smaller than they, such as rats and
mice, so any home with an existing rodent problem would make for a comfortable habitat with a personal smorgasbord.
Reproduction and Development
Sexual maturity for an opossum occurs at about a year. Mating season typically lasts the majority of the year, beginning in
December and lasting through October, in which time a mother can give birth to 1-3 litters a year. Gestation only lasts
about 2 weeks before the mother gives birth to between 8 and 20+ young. The young then make their way into the
mother's pouch and attach to a teat for another 60-70 days. Any of the young that don't find themselves a teat die off.
After young opossums are big enough to leave the pouch they typically climb onto the mother's back and are carried
around. Weaning ends at about 3 months and the opossum leaves its mother after 4 and ½ to 5.
Foraging Behavior
An opossum spans a territory of 30 to 100 acres of shared land, making each "territory" not so much a territory than just a
living area. Opossums are nocturnal, making them more active at night than during daylight. In Central Florida, more
opossums are seen laying on the side of the road than roaming for food due to their taste for carrion. As a matter of fact,
opossums tend to create a vicious cycle for themselves as a live opossum crosses a road to eat a dead one, then gets hit by
a car itself, becoming a meal for another possibly doomed opossum the next night.
Opossum Senses
While not necessarily being considered one of its 5 senses, an opossum's sense of danger is very keen and, when its life is
threatened, an opossum will involuntarily roll over and play dead, or "play possum." When in this near-comatose state, the
breathing slows to a near stand still, the tongue slips out of the mouth, and the opossum lets a foul odor out of its anal
gland mimicking the smell of death. During this period, an opossum can be harassed or even bitten by a predator without
any response in an effort to not become a hungry animal's dinner.
Signs of Opossum Infestation
Diseases
Opossums are actually the most resistant mammal to rabies in North America, due to their exceptional immune system.
Among other diseases, opossums are also immune to the venom of rattlesnakes, cottonmouths and pit vipers as well as other
snakes. This doesn't mean that opossums are not dangerous vectors of disease however, as their diet heavily consists of
carrion and garbage materials, an opossum bite could come with a large number of bacteria in any form. They also carry
fleas and ticks that are responsible for transferring disease as well. Whereas the opossum may be completely healthy,
contact with it is definitely ill-advised.
Virginia Opossums (or common opossums) are mainly solitary animals, scavenging their way to survival in both urban and rural
areas. Aside from eating trash and road kill in an urban community, attics and crawlspaces make for safe places to hideout
from rain, predators and us. Once an opossum has moved in, it'll stick around as long as food and water is readily available,
and in Central Florida, that could be a while.
Virginia Opossums in Central Florida (didelphis virginiana) are one of a large number of opossums of the order
didelphimorphia found in the Western Hemisphere and the first of the order to be given the name 'opossum.' They span all
of the United States and into Canada but are most commonly found in the southeast.
Opossums appear similar to rats but are not at all closely related. Their fur is white on their faces and peppered with grey
and black along their back and paws. Adult opossums are typically 15-20 inches long and 9 to 13 lbs, making the Virginia
opossums the largest of the opossums. They're also characterized by their long, hairless, prehensile tails which young can
use to hang upside down, but once an opossum reaches adulthood, the tail is used mainly for balance. Opossums also have
50 very sharp teeth, the most teeth of any mammal on land.
Habitat
In the wild an opossum will nest in a number of dark, cool spots within its territorial area. An opossum will put together
numerous nests within a relatively small territory and move from spot to spot for 6 months to a year or until the food and
water resources are exhausted. It's not uncommon for wild opossums to move into hollow trees or the unused burrows of
other animals. In urban settings, however, these can be replaced with garages, attics, or under crawlspaces and decks.
Food Habits
Opossums are omnivores with a preference for meat. Their diet typically consists of carrion, fruits and vegetables,
mushrooms, insects, snakes, worms and eggs. If available, opossums will also eat mammals smaller than they, such as rats and
mice, so any home with an existing rodent problem would make for a comfortable habitat with a personal smorgasbord.
Reproduction and Development
Sexual maturity for an opossum occurs at about a year. Mating season typically lasts the majority of the year, beginning in
December and lasting through October, in which time a mother can give birth to 1-3 litters a year. Gestation only lasts
about 2 weeks before the mother gives birth to between 8 and 20+ young. The young then make their way into the
mother's pouch and attach to a teat for another 60-70 days. Any of the young that don't find themselves a teat die off.
After young opossums are big enough to leave the pouch they typically climb onto the mother's back and are carried
around. Weaning ends at about 3 months and the opossum leaves its mother after 4 and ½ to 5.
Foraging Behavior
An opossum spans a territory of 30 to 100 acres of shared land, making each "territory" not so much a territory than just a
living area. Opossums are nocturnal, making them more active at night than during daylight. In Central Florida, more
opossums are seen laying on the side of the road than roaming for food due to their taste for carrion. As a matter of fact,
opossums tend to create a vicious cycle for themselves as a live opossum crosses a road to eat a dead one, then gets hit by
a car itself, becoming a meal for another possibly doomed opossum the next night.
Opossum Senses
While not necessarily being considered one of its 5 senses, an opossum's sense of danger is very keen and, when its life is
threatened, an opossum will involuntarily roll over and play dead, or "play possum." When in this near-comatose state, the
breathing slows to a near stand still, the tongue slips out of the mouth, and the opossum lets a foul odor out of its anal
gland mimicking the smell of death. During this period, an opossum can be harassed or even bitten by a predator without
any response in an effort to not become a hungry animal's dinner.
- sight- the least developed of an opossum's senses. opossums don't see very well in daylight or at night.
- smell- the most advanced of an opossum's senses, and also the most important when used for finding food.
- hearing- an acute sense of hearing helps the opossum evade predators and hunt small animals for food.
- touch- the opossum's sense of touch is fairly weak in comparison to its other senses, as it spends a majority of its
time walking over rough terrain and climbing through trees. the whiskers are its most touch-sensitive feature. - taste- opossums' sense of taste is fairly dull, making it sort of a natural garbage can in urban settings.
Signs of Opossum Infestation
- scratching or thumping noise in areas of the attic.
- dogs or cats paying undue attention to the attic, wall voids and crawl spaces
- droppings, urine, or tracks on the floor
- actual damage (i.e. water leaks from gnawed plumbing, loss of cooling in certain rooms and/or insulation being found
blowing out of air vents, lights & electrical sockets not working etc.) - chewing on citrus and other fruit and vegetable plants
- flu and/or allergy like symptoms including asthma, bronchitis & other respiratory ailments.
- recurring parasitic infestations of the home or business ( primarily fleas and ticks.torn siding, soffitt, or screen
Diseases
Opossums are actually the most resistant mammal to rabies in North America, due to their exceptional immune system.
Among other diseases, opossums are also immune to the venom of rattlesnakes, cottonmouths and pit vipers as well as other
snakes. This doesn't mean that opossums are not dangerous vectors of disease however, as their diet heavily consists of
carrion and garbage materials, an opossum bite could come with a large number of bacteria in any form. They also carry
fleas and ticks that are responsible for transferring disease as well. Whereas the opossum may be completely healthy,
contact with it is definitely ill-advised.
| Questions to ask other Wildlife Control Professionals:
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