The opossum is a mammalian animal that belongs to the group of marsupials. It is native to the American continent and receives different names depending on the region. For example, in Mexico it is known as "opossum", but in other countries it is called "possum", "weasel" or "vixens", although these last two terms are not entirely correct because they refer to other animals totally different.
In Mexico, which is where opossums are known as "opossums", there are several species of these animals, which belong to the Didelphidae family, which has almost ninety species and has a wide range distribution in various types of habitats, which also makes their diet very varied. Do you want to know what the opossum eats? We invite you to continue reading this article on our site, to find out what possums are fed.
Type of opossum feeding
The opossum is a fairly widespread animal in the American region, which, depending on the species, has a distribution range that goes from Canada to the south of the continent. Its widespread presence is related to the way it feeds because the opossum or opossum carries an omnivorous-type diet, which could be said to be very broad, and even opportunistic, because it varies depending on the availability of food in the habitat in which it lives.
Depending on the species, this animal can be more insectivorous, carnivorous or frugivorous, which, as we have mentioned, changes depending on where it lives. However, in general, he tends to eat a little from each of the food groups.
The teeth of this type of marsupial respond to the varied diet it eats,. This is somewhat curious because it has a total of 50 dental pieces, something quite unusual in mammals. The incisors are quite small, while the canines and tricuspid molars are large.
What does the baby opossum eat?
Newly born opossums are very tiny and weigh very little, however, they have the ability to climb to the mother's pouch because they have very well developed front legs. Once they reach the mammary glands, they attach to them to start feeding, so the baby opossum's feeding is solely based on breast milk, at least until about 50 days old.
After this time, the little ones continue to be associated with maternal care, so they remain with their mother. It is even common to observe them on her while she moves from one place to another. Thus, from the 50th day, approximately, they alternate breast milk with the consumption of food that the mother provides them. Approximately between the 90th and 125th day of life, the final weaning occurs and the young become independent. In some cases, this time coincides with the abundance of some fruits that these animals eat.
What does the adult opossum eat?
As we have mentioned, the opossum is a fairly opportunistic omnivorous animal, eating a wide variety of foods. Thus, it eats other animals such as various types of invertebrates, various vertebrates and even in some areas where it lives, as in Venezuela, it consumes venomous reptiles such as the rattlesnake, something that the common or southern opossum (Didelphis marsupialis) does above all, although other species they can also. Also, include in your diet various parts of the plants, vegetables,human food waste when living in urban areas, pet food and carrion
These animals tend to have a more or less stable diet throughout their lives, but it is influenced by the availability in the space where they live. In this way, in times of drought, when fruits and vegetables are scarce, the consumption of animals increases. Another curious fact about the animals that opossums eat is that young people tend to opt more for invertebrates, while adults for vertebrates, although they include the former in the same way.
Here is a list of specific foods that the adult opossum eats:
- Earthworms
- Beetles
- Grasshopper
- Larvae
- Toads
- Birds
- Eggs
- Rodents
- Spiders
- Insects
- Sheets
- Flowers
- Fruits
- Stems
- Nectar
- Sap
- Seeds
How much does an opossum eat?
There are certain variations between species in the percentage of the type of food an opossum eats. Let's look at some concrete examples below:
- The Central American woolly possum (Caluromys derbianus) eats many insects and in times of drought increases its intake of nectar and parts of certain trees.
- The Western woolly possum (Caluromys lanatus) eats a diet of between 80 and 85% fruit, while the The remaining 15-20% includes other vegetables, insects, other invertebrates, and small vertebrates.
- The southern opossum (Didelphis marsupialis) feeds according to the available resources, so we cannot speak of specific percentages.
- The Virginia opossum (Didelphis virginiana) consumes about 30% of small mammals, a little over 10% of both of insects such as earthworms, 5% of birds, about 20% of fruits, seeds and tubers, and about 10% of herbs and leaves [1]
It is difficult to estimate the amount of food an adult opossum eats because of their varied diet, but in general they can eat several times a day As for baby opossums, they can eat up to every two hours, as their metabolism is fast and they constantly require energy.
Now that you know what the opossum eats, don't miss this other article where we mention the Types of possums that exist.
