Do Possums Eat Rats? Understanding A Possum's Preferred Palette

Possums are creatures that tend to be destructive if they make a home on your property.

It is unknown how much damage possums do to your property, but they can damage your lawn by digging to eat their grub. You will know what damage they cause if you find one living in your garden.

If you ask yourself whether possums keep rats away, then yes, they do! Not just rats, but they do eat many other rodents that can cause problems for you. This animal generally eats rats, mice, and roof rats, which is why they are considered a helpful species for humans.

Having possums in your garden means having pests free of cost. But the main question is, are possums the pest we need to control? Is it beneficial to have possums around? Is it true that they can be toxic? All these things will be explained to you here.

Do Possums Keep Rats Away?

Here's a common question. Does a possum keep rats away? And the answer is yes. They do keep the rats away and keep their population in check. Mice and rats are a major part of the possum's diet or food.

So if you have a large population of possums, that will not be a problem. In fact, keeping them at home is much safer than keeping rats because rats can cause several diseases, such as Rat-Bite Fever (RBF), a febrile human illness. Rat-proofing your house is the best option for preventing infestation of these diseases.

Possums do eat rats as their food but not regularly. They eat them when they are starving. It can also happen when rats become aggressive. Possums are said to eat anything that is dead or available, from fruit, snakes, insects, slugs, eggs, rats and mice, fish, frogs, and the meat of other dead animals.

So next time, if you see possums sneaking out for something, do not disturb them. But one thing you need to make sure of is to keep your pet food and garbage tightly sealed because a possum can cause more damage.

Do Rats and Possums Fight?

Possums are fantastic animals that you keep on your property. They consume rodents like rats, mice, and insects, who carry diseases that can cause harm to you. So they control pests of all kinds.

But the most frequent question that people have in their mind is, do rats and possums fight? The answer is, they don't fight, because possums attack the rats and kill them. This leaves them with little opportunity to fight back. But when they get the chance, rats escape possums to survive.

But possums do have enemies, and they can get attacked. Their enemies are – hawks, owls, red foxes, and even humans who kill possums. The funny thing is that possums act dead when they know that their predators are coming because they know that predators do not eat animals that are already dead.

It is also said that cats are also the enemies of possums, but you do not have to worry if you have adult cats at home. The adult cat and possum ignore each other.

But did you know that raccoons and possums fight like siblings? They generally don't have conflicts, but occasionally, they may fight over food. They do love eating rats and mice, which is why you need to ensure that they are out of your ground.

Are Possums Resistant to Rat Poison?

It is a rare thing that you may find in some animals only: rat poison cannot harm possums. Not just rat poison but also every other substance, except neurotoxins, leave possums unharmed.

Possums have a peptide in their blood that makes them immune to poison or other toxic substances. Since rats' bodies do not produce neurotoxins, therefore, possums are unharmed when they consume rats.

So, the next time someone asks, "Are Possums Resistant To Rat Poison?" then you know that the answer will be, "Yes, they are."

If you want a possum off your property, then you know that no poison can harm them. Nevertheless, you can get rid of them using a harmless method, placing ammonia or mothballs everywhere because they hate the smell of those.

Meanwhile, possums have a natural immune system that can process food easily. As a result, they do not catch any disease, even if ticks bite them! Ticks are a kind of parasite that can cause disease, and possums can even eat ticks without a wince.

Is it True that Possums were once Used to Control the Rodent Population?

Years ago, to check whether possum helps control the population of rodents, several wild possums were set free in parks and many other locations. It was done in the council city of Brooklyn.

The council hoped that once they controlled or eliminated the rodent from the city, they would eventually die because of starvation. But they do forget that they were here from the time of dinosaurs, and they will survive without that too.

Indeed, possums were once used to control rodent populations; however, everyone doubts their effectiveness. The Brooklyn plan failed because the possums were outrun by the rats. Also, after the rodent population reduces, possums become a huge problem because instead of dying of starvation, they survive by eating other animals, such as snakes.

What Rodents Do Possums Eat?

Possums are marsupial mammals that eat hamsters. These species work as pest control for rats and many other animals. It eats slugs and snails, snakes and carrion many more.

Not just that, possums can even eat other mammals and birds. Other insects, especially beetles and ticks, are also consumed by possums. These are wildlife creatures and can make anything their food unless that particular thing contains neurotoxins.

It eats the animal that you may find even in your house. It can eat the snake as part of its natural immune system. Possums are another great option if you want to get rid of cockroaches (and they scare you).

Should You Let Possums Stay in Your Yard?

The marsupial does help humans get rid of many problems, even venomous snakes. However, if you are wondering whether you should keep possums inside your home, then the answer to that is 'no.'

Though it is safe to have them, they are scared of humans, or you can say humans are one of their enemies. Therefore, they don't exactly qualify as pets or domesticable animals.

Possums can climb trees, and the best part is they have impressive tails using which they can hang on to branches of trees without falling.

That also makes possums beneficial to have in the yard. They may play with other animals and make both living and non-living things their prey. They also love the fallen fruit and can cause trouble if you have a trash can outside. Possums are wild, so it will become a problem since they may become annoying for you.

Did You Know...

There are several facts about the possum or even its relative opossum that you may not have any idea about, such as whether possums are known to never sleep at night or do possums hunt birds or not.

Possums have high immunity to toxins and can also eat viruses by killing an animal. Possums can be considered free pests (or pest controls) as they are wildlife creatures that eat carrion, slugs and snails, and many other insects that carry diseases.