The opossum is a successful scavenger, thanks to its adaptability and excellent immune system. Opossums are nocturnal and active mainly after dark. They are one of the most unfairly disrespected animals on the planet, often considered vermin, aggressive, and dirty. However, they are adaptive, simple, and sweetanimals who provide a valuable clean-up service during the night.
Opossums may significantly reduce the spread of Lyme disease by devouring ticks in masses. A single possum can gulp down 5,000 ticks in a season, chowing down on the would-be parasites as they attempt to latch onto the opossum.
They’ll also munch on other disease vectors like cockroaches, mice and voles. Throughout its foraging hours, the opossum will eat almost anything, which is one of the attributes that has led to its widespread success on the American continents.
The larger species also appear to have a high tolerance for rattlesnake venom, allowing them to get bitten without incident. This is handy for those species that commonly eat snakes, including copperheads and rattlesnakes.
So don’t harm them or pick them up, just let them do what they were designed to do which is cleaning up the grounds and scout for pest!