Are Opposums Harmful?

[Abraham]

I've a frequent possum visitor. He just moseys around the back yard.

As far as I can tell he isn't bothering anything, yet I read how some consider them a nuisance and shoot them.

Why?

What harm are they capable?

[Oldgringo]

...tastes like chicken...

[seamusTX]

Like any mammal, they can carry rabies, though they are less likely to have rabies than other mammals. They eat everything. They''ll turn over your garbage cans and scatter the contents. Sometimes they tangle with your pets, and they have nasty teeth.

They will also scare the stuffing out of you if you come upon one in the dark at close range.

- Jim

[longhorn_92]

I've a frequent possum visitor. He just moseys around the back yard.

As far as I can tell he isn't bothering anything, yet I read how some consider them a nuisance and shoot them.

Why?

What harm are they capable?

You can always use a HavaHeart Trap and bait it with some cat food or sardines - place it where you usually see it and trap it. Then you can take it somewhere else (if you don't want to shoot it)...

Just a suggestion.

[mr.72]

One time I was mountain biking at night, and I was in the midst of a long climb and an opossum begins ambling towards the trail in perpendicular fashion. I could tell that at my pace and at the animal's pace I was likely to run right over it, but I was not in the mood to give up my mo' in order to avoid hitting it. I figured it was an animal that probably had decent reflexes, it would hear me and certainly not run right in front of a 200+ lb threat, right?

Nope.

It mosied right across the trail and I ran over it with both wheels. Didn't hurt it a bit. It just kept on walking as if nothing had happened.

These are some durable animals. My cats tangle with them from time to time, and while they are very stupid and not exactly aggressive or formidable fighters, they can take a whole lot of abuse, at least from my two cats.

[thankGod]

Yes they do have nasty teeth. I've had to kill two of them in my backyard this past year.

The first one had just tangled with, and bit my neighbors dog, and his teenage son chased it over the fence into my yard. The possum was not happy, and I had to kill it.

The second one scared the heck out of my wife when she was out taking care of the plants. This was a pretty large possum, and must of been in some sort of ruckus as it had a broken back leg with matted blood. I had to kill this one also.

I didn't want to kill them, but they were not about to go on their own way as they usually do.

Live traps are a good option. I've used them successfully on several armadillos.

[Abraham]

Thanks all for the replies.

So far, this one hasn't created a problem, but if he does I'll do the live trap routine.

As it is, I see so many dead critters on the road as I too cycle a lot and it saddens me.

Often, it looks as if these animals could've been avoided if the drivers were paying just a little more attention.

I just don't have it in me to shoot this one.

[pedalman]

This is why God created the Ruger Single-Six.

[OverEasy]

I don't think an opposum would attack you or your pets unless it was rabid. It may eat stuff in your garden, it may get into your bird feeder or pet food(if left outdoors) or trash cans. I would rate them along with rabbits, squirrles and armadillos as mostly harmless wildlife.

NOW, I will tell you that they are either really dumb or very evil. I have a small fenced area around the house where I keep my dogs at night. It is to prevent them from roaming the whole 5 acres, which is fenced. One dog is a black & tan coonhound. At least 4 or 5 times in the last few years an opposum has seen fit to come and climb up in a tree a few feet outside the yard fence usually sometime after 11:30 pm. You can hear my hound at least a mile away when she is on a trail or has something treed. Since the opposums have not been smart enough to climb down the tree and wander away they have met an untimely demise. I have tried to be proactive and use a Havahart live trap to relocate them. It has worked pretty good however a few cats have entered the 'reloction program' also. Maybe it's from using cat food to bait the trap?
My dogs will tree cats if given the chance.( note: a good black & tan will stay at the base of a tree for at least 2 days if it has something treed)

Enjoy your opposum watching, OE

[seamusTX]

I don't think an opposum would attack you or your pets

They don't attack, but if a dog attacks them, they will bit to defend themselves.

- Jim

[bpet]

They also create a very unpleasant odor when they die (in my case by natural causes) in either your attic or your chimney.

I speak from experience having removed three from my attic and leaving one in my chimney (after I gave up trying to get the carcass out). I have since had the trees trimmed away from the roof.

Squirrels, cats, and the occasional stray dog, I can tolerate but, I don't like opossums! I have never shot one, even after running into one perched on my garage door rail one evening while taking out the trash. Quite a surprise, and looking at one from below with it showing its substantial set of pointy teeth, WILL give one pause.

[flintknapper]

Yes they do have nasty teeth. I've had to kill two of them in my backyard this past year.

The first one had just tangled with, and bit my neighbors dog, and his teenage son chased it over the fence into my yard. The possum was not happy, and I had to kill it.

The second one scared the heck out of my wife when she was out taking care of the plants. This was a pretty large possum, and must of been in some sort of ruckus as it had a broken back leg with matted blood. I had to kill this one also.

I didn't want to kill them, but they were not about to go on their own way as they usually do.

Live traps are a good option. I've used them successfully on several armadillos.

Which are "Possum on the half shell".

[TexasVet]

The biggest thing I would worry about is fleas, other parasites. Most of theses critters carry fleas and those fleas drop their eggs everywhere these guys go. The next time your dog or cat walks by and the fleas have had some time to develop, they jump from their cocoons and start feeding on your pet. They can also carry other parasites transmitted through feces and Leptospirosis in urine. And yes rabies as well.

[CHLSteve]

I guess with my home backing up to a large field, I've gotten used to opposums wandering about. That, along with squirrels, raccoons, mice, rats, snakes, bats, coyotes, etc... If I had to shoot everything that wandered through my backyard, well....

Anyway, we did have some rats and squirrels decided that my attic would be a good place to live. I did put a stop to that pretty quick. As others have said, unless they are rabid, or causing a problem, you can let them be. I haven't heard of any opposum vs. people attacks.

[casingpoint]

Possums are supposed to be really good eating baked down in a bed of sweet potatoes and bacon strips. 'Bout like they figure an old dead cow is good eats once they crawl up inside the carcass and dig in.