How Long Do Possums Live? How Can You Tell When They 'Play Possum'

Opossums have a terrible reputation for being garage intruders and creepy-looking animals who come up onto our porches at night; these possums originate from their native land of North America.

The Virginia opossum from North America is not the cutest animal; in fact, some people consider them to be ugly. The truth is that opossums are beneficial animals that are frequently misunderstood.

Virginia possums are a group of 70 trees-dwelling marsupial species with a pouch to raise their young, endemic to Australia, New Guinea, and Sulawesi in Indonesia.

A possum and opossum are not the same animals, despite their similar names and the fact that they are both marsupials. The Virginia opossum and its relatives in the genus Didelphis, all of which reside in North and South America, are known as opossums.

But before you think of getting this creature as a pet, make sure you have a license from authorities as raising a wild animal in captivity is not permitted.

Possum and opossum are both derived from the Native American term opossum, which means 'white animal' in Powhatan. Opossums have a bad reputation because of their rat-like look and cat-like size. These cunning nocturnal animals, on the other hand, have a lot going for them.

Opossums consume parasitic ticks and garden pests and have a natural resistance to snake venom. Female opossums, also known as jills, carry joeys in their pouch, just like their marsupial cousins. Opossums are immune to snake bites or bee stings.

Read on to further understand how long possums live for and how you can take care of them! After understanding all about the lifespan of these marsupials, do check how long do rats live and how long do rabbits live.

What is playing possum?

Apparent death, often known as playing possum is a behavior pattern wherein different animals act as if they are dead. Apparent death occurs in a wide range of species and can be employed as a defensive mechanism as well as that of aggressive imitation.

Someone who is lying motionless and not moving in order to convince others that he or she is dead is referred to as 'playing possum.'

The most well-known truth about this North American animal is that when an adversary catches him, it appears to be dead. It's known as 'playing possum.'

The first time you see this play, you'll be astounded, as if you're seeing an extraordinary wild comedy.

Shamming, on the other hand, is as common as animal life, and it is common.

Capture a common ladybird (lady beetle or ladybug) when it is helping you produce roses by eating aphids or plant lice, and the insect pretends to be a dead twig; or catch a praying mantis while it is gathering flies, and the creature turns up its toes in your palm.

Animals or some specific species act as if they are dying for a brief while, while others act as if they are dying all the time, refusing to respond even to a fire that kills them.

So, how long can a south possum's life be? Opossums can have a shorter lifespan of around three years or less in wild habitats as they are at threat from predators.

In captivity, an opossum's lifespan can almost double on average if they get proper nutrition from their owners. Though, the stress of captivity, lack of exercise, and a limited diet might affect their average longevity.

Captured Virginia possums can live a normal life when kept as a pet; thus their lifespan increases. Opossums need to eat proper food and proper meat to survive better.

How long does a possum live in captivity?

People occasionally come across orphaned Virginia opossums and consider keeping them as pets. However, keeping possums without a wildlife rehabilitation permit is unlawful, and healthy Virginia opossums may and should be released once they're mature enough to thrive on their own.

Opossums are wild creatures who don't perform well in captivity too often, as these marsupials prefer living in a wild habitat. Attempting to turn an opossum into a pet may be both costly and distressing.

In a wildlife habitat, where these young marsupials must fight with predators and vehicles, possums have a limited lifetime of three years or fewer. This mammal may live twice as long in captivity if given appropriate nourishment and care by a trained caretaker.

However, because of the stress of captivity, lack of movement, and a restricted diet, they can become ill fast, and you may find yourself investing emotion, time, and money in an animal that does not live long.

When maintained as a pet, Virginia possums who were born in the wild but were captured can have a normal life. However, due to their refined diets, they may experience a deficiency in bone calcium.

They consume the entire animal when it comes to prey, including bones, in the wild.

This mammal should be fed cooked chicken with the bones still attached in captivity. For their calcium needs, they will eat mild cheeses, meat, insects, cottage cheese, and, in particular, natural yogurt.

Why do opossums die so fast?

The typical lifetime of North American possums is one to two years. The presence of various predators, such as dogs, cats, and people, contributes to their short lifetime. By 'playing 'possum' or simulating death, the opossum can sometimes avoid death, and the predator will lose interest in the deceased animal and will not eat it.

North American possums simply follow their species' merciless formula to live life in an excessively placental world: grow up quickly, give birth to one or two big broods, and then cease playing possum and die of old age. They die as most comparably sized mammals have only just entered their prime.

Under the home is one of the most typical areas to encounter opossums in human territory. Why?

Because it has everything that a mother opossum would require to raise her young, and it's becoming increasingly difficult to find rock heaps and other comparable places in the wild. These mammals are being pushed to live among people.

They don't have a choice in the matter. It's a kill-or-evolve situation, and the opossum has chosen to evolve.

It may be due to natural factors in certain cases. They might have been infected with something or been attacked by larger animals.

They might eat poison that was placed out for rats and mice by people. Occasionally, it is because they have been trapped by a homeowner who is overly eager to take over their environment.

What do possums die from?

Dogs, coyotes, birds of prey and big snakes are among the predators that prey on opossums. They are, however, impervious to the venom of snakes as well as a variety of illnesses, including Lyme disease.

Juvenile opossums are occasionally preyed upon by their adult counterparts, affecting their lifespan.

Starvation and exposure to the environment, particularly the cold, are two major causes of opossum death, and it snatches away their life. Due to frostbite, opossums frequently have the tips of their ears and tails removed, which at times can cost them their life.

Humans are the greatest threat to an opossum's life. Opossums consume carrion, which frequently includes roadkill.

Due to their nocturnal nature, opossums are frequently observed hunting for food at night on highways, where they are sometimes wounded or lose their life by automobiles. Also, opossums that have been frightened or wounded and have gone into a catatonic state may be mistaken for dead.

This can have the effect of making humans feel obligated to put them out of their agony. Opossums have even been buried alive or put in garbage bins after being mistaken for dead. People have been known to mistreat the opossum species in North America, as they do with many other animal species.

The fur and flesh of opossums were once highly prized, and night hunting was a popular hobby. Because the fur and flesh have lost their value, this is no longer a popular practice.

How can you know if an opossum is dead or just playing dead?

It's taking a breath. The opossum is alive if it is still breathing or warm to the touch.

If it's pretending to be dead, it'll be in a condition of fake paralysis, making it relatively safe to move.

It's not a great idea to approach an opossum with your bare hands and feel it out, but putting on gloves and moving it with a shovel while it's playing dead is the best time to do it.

To keep an opossum from biting you, grasp it by the base of its tail and the scruff of its neck if you try to move it by hand.

The only thing you can do to be safe is to wait. After about an hour, the opossum's ears begin to move slightly.

This is a clue that you're dealing with a performer. You may be quite confident you're staring down on a dead animal after four hours of stiff ears.

Contact the appropriate authorities (local veterinarian, wildlife rehabilitator, or animal control). Before disposing of a 'dead' opossum, give it the benefit of the doubt.

It might be 'playing possum' as an unintentional response to a threat, in which the opossum falls unconscious and seems dead in the face of danger.

This might last anything from 40 minutes to four hours. The opossum gets rigid, its eyes glaze over, it drools, its tongue lolls out the side of its mouth, and green anal fluid may be seen at this period.

Because many predators give up an assault if they assume the opossum is already dead, this unique defensive mechanism helps the opossum survive an attack from a predator. Allow the opossum to recuperate and move on by leaving the area.

What is the longest a possum can live?

A Virginia Possum's lifetime is determined by a variety of variables. In captivity, an opossum with a 'damaged' eye or tail will live longer. Their way of existence is hard, and the environment is harsh, especially if they are invaded by humans and dogs. Diet and exercise are difficult for captive opossums.

It's quite tough to strike a balance between nutrition and exercise. On the plus side, a confined animal may be treated for medical issues. It all depends on the person.

The oldest opossum in captivity was four years and five months old. Opossums in the wild, on the other hand, have a significantly shorter life expectancy and seldom survive through their first year.

The oldest opossum ever seen in the wild was three years old. A female may have up to 25 young in a single litter. However only about half of the joeys survive the trip into the pouch after delivery.

Opossums have two litters a year. After mating, the male, known as a jack, departs and does not return.

Female opossums known as jills give birth to up to 20 live young possums at a time after just 12-13 days of gestation. When the young, known as joeys, are born, they are approximately the size of jelly beans.

Young possums scramble inside the mother's pouch to complete their development. Even as the joeys get older, the mother will continue to carry them on her back. Young possums will spend around 100 days with their mother.

The majority of Joeys do not survive. Joeys reach sexual maturity between the ages of six and eight months and survive for one to two years.

Here at Kidadl, we have carefully created lots of interesting family-friendly facts for everyone to enjoy! If you liked our suggestions for 'How long do possums live?', then why not take a look at 'How long do pigs live? or 'Possum Facts.'