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Despite what they look like, opossums are not rodents. They give birth to their young, who then must climb aboard the mother and find their way to her pouch to continue growing, much like kangaroos. That means opossums are marsupials, and they are the largest such animals in North America.
Many people find opossums frightening to look at. They are nocturnal and when headlights shine upon their white faces and dark eyes, accompanied by their tendency to hiss when startled, they seem dangerous. The fact is that they would much rather prefer to run away, hide or even "play possum" than fight. However, there are some risks connected with opossums that make them a potential pest. That's why Rentokil offers reliable opossum removal services for commercial businesses.
There are a wide variety of opossums located around the world. The North American opossum is generally around the same size of, or slightly larger than, the average house cat. They tend to have very long, white-colored, snouts and faces with dark eyes. They have small ears, pink noses and dark gray fur, with black fur on their paws. They also have very prominent claws and long prehensile tails that they use to help them climb trees.
Opossums are omnivores, which means they will eat just about anything that they can get their claws and teeth on. Opossums are quite fond of eating fruit, however, they are meat-eaters, too. They will eat snails, insects, slugs, rats, fish, frogs and even snakes. In fact, opossums are immune to most types of snake venom and other poisons.
Opossums do not want to engage in battle with humans or even pets. They act fierce in an attempt to scare away potential threats. They will hiss, bare their teeth and try to look scary. However, they are also famous for "playing possum" which is an entirely involuntary act, similar to when a human faints.
When an opossum plays dead it will bare its teeth, become immobile and even release a scent that smells like a dead animal to food predators. Opossums can stay in this state anywhere from 40 minutes to four hours before coming back around again and running away.
Despite rumors, opossums rarely carry rabies. However, they might carry ticks and other pests on them that can bring about diseases such as:
Opossums usually do not cause property damage and do not dig. They will often use abandoned logs and other areas that already exist on your property as a nest. They might find a hole in the roof, for example, and widen it to get inside, but rarely remove the roof tiles on their own.
Make sure that potential nesting places like logs, piles of vegetation and other attractants are removed. Also, make sure that pet food kept outside is secured to prevent opossums from wandering onto your property.
Rentokil specialists are experienced in trapping and removing opossums from properties. If you have spotted opossums around your business at night, call the experts right away. You can reach us at 1-855-633-6260 or use our online form to schedule an appointment.
Wildlife can create a huge mess on your property and carry a host of diseases. Learn more about our commercial wildlife control services.