Opossums get a really bad wrap. If it isn’t bad enough that their tails look like they belong on an oversized rat… they sometimes drool and play dead. Opossums are nearly harmless fellows… and their only defense is to look horrid in an attempt to scare you away! So, opossums are getting a bad bio for a lot of reasons. However, they DO actually have redeeming qualities and I would like to share a few of them with you. If you have an opossum that has gotten into your house, please don’t try to catch it on your own. You need a professional to come and capture the animal and remove it from your Sarasota, or Lakewood Ranch location.

Almost ALL wild animals can carry rabies — however for the Opossum, it is extremely- rare. Why is that? Because their body temperature is too low for the rabies virus to live.

Opossums are like the sanitation department of the wild. They are omnivores, and often will consume things that other animals leave behind and will not eat. Having them around is kind of like having a clean up crew!

Did you know that opossums are immune to the venom from all snakes? A venomous snake can not hurt an opossum, it just doesn’t affect them! What this means is that possibly in the future, scientists will discover an antibody – or anti-venom that can be injected into humans!

The slow moving Opossums are an attractant to ticks….  So what you may say? Well, those ticks cling to the fur and make a tasty snack to their host later on. Opossums find them delicious eating thousands of them each season. With Lyme disease becoming more and more prevalent, having opossums around can actually be of benefit to humans.  Opossums stay fastidiously clean, eating 95% of all the ticks off of their own bodies.

So, what do you think? Opossums are really not the “bad or the ugly guys” that many make them out to be!

If we can ever answer any questions for you about opossums, let us know! We are open 24/7 – 365 at 1-866-263-WILD or easily contact us by clicking here. 

 

Read more Settling the Myths from the Truths about OPOSSUMS! [Removal Lakewood Ranch, Sarasota] ›