Opossums eat up to 4,000 ticks per week, helping reduce Lyme disease in your backyard. These helpful animals have one of the most varied opossum diets of any North American animal.

Learning what opossums eat helps us see their value and live alongside these fascinating creatures.

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What Are Opossums and What Do They Eat?

The Virginia opossum is North America’s only marsupial (an animal with a pouch). These adaptable creatures are often feared, but they’re gentle animals that help our local ecosystems in many ways.

According to the National Wildlife Federation, opossums live from southern Canada to Central America. You can find them in forests, fields, and even in your neighborhood. They’re about as big as a house cat, with gray fur, a pointed face, and a naked tail.

What makes the opossum diet special is how flexible it is. This dietary adaptability has helped opossums survive for millions of years – even outlasting the dinosaurs!

To learn more about adaptable animals, check out our article on 15 Dopamine Brain Foods to Boost Mood, which explains how certain foods help our bodies adapt to stress.

The Complete Opossum Diet: What Do Opossums Eat?

Opossums are true omnivores with one of the most varied diets of any animal. Research from the Journal of Wildlife Management shows they eat over 400 different foods. This wide opossum diet helps them thrive in many different places.

Opossum Food Category	Examples	Benefits to Ecosystem
Insects & Bugs	Ticks, cockroaches, beetles	Pest control, disease reduction
Small Animals	Mice, rats, small snakes	Rodent control
Carrion (Dead Animals)	Roadkill, winter carcasses	Clean up, prevent disease spread
Fruits & Berries	Persimmons, blackberries, apples	Seed dispersal
Plants & Vegetables	Grasses, garden vegetables	Minimal plant damage
Human Sources	Pet food, compost, garbage	Less wasteful than other wildlife

Just like you might enjoy the diverse diet in our Healthy Nachos: 15 Guilt-Free Mexican Recipes, opossums thrive on variety in their diet!

Animal Foods in the Opossum Diet

Insects and Other Bugs

Ticks: One opossum can eat 4,000+ ticks weekly, says the Cary Institute of Ecosystem Studies
Cockroaches, beetles, and crickets
Snails and slugs
Earthworms
Spiders

Small Animals

Mice and rats
Small snakes (opossums are resistant to most snake venom)
Lizards and frogs
Small birds and their eggs

Dead Animals (Carrion)

Roadkill and other animal remains
Deer carcasses during winter

Plant Foods Opossums Eat

Fruits

Wild berries: blackberries, blueberries
Persimmons (a favorite)
Apples, grapes, and other fruits
Pawpaws and mulberries

Other Plant Matter

Grasses and leaves
Nuts and seeds
Corn and grains
Garden vegetables
Mushrooms

Other Opossum Food Sources

Human food waste
Pet food left outside
Bird seed from feeders
Garbage

The Missouri Department of Conservation notes that this flexible opossum diet is key to their survival, letting them thrive in different conditions and adapt to seasonal food changes. Similar to how we might switch up our diets with the seasons, as shown in our article 7-Day Intermittent Fasting Meal Plan for Weight Loss, opossums adapt their eating to what’s available year-round.

What Do Opossums Eat in Different Seasons?

Opossums change their diet throughout the year based on what’s available. A study in the Journal of Mammalogy found these seasonal changes:

Season	Main Foods in Opossum Diet	Eating Behavior
Spring	Insects, small animals, early berries	Active foraging at night
Summer	Fruits, berries, insects, garden produce	Peak activity and eating
Fall	Nuts, seeds, fruits, preparing for winter	Building fat reserves
Winter	More carrion, stored foods, human sources	Limited foraging in cold

Spring Diet

More insects become available
Small animals, including baby rabbits
Early berries and fruits
Fresh grasses and shoots

Summer Diet

Lots of fruits and berries
Many insects, including ticks
Garden vegetables
Small prey animals

Fall Diet

Nuts, seeds, and late fruits
More scavenging as winter approaches
Insects until first frost
Foods that help build fat

Winter Diet

More dead animals (carrion)
Stored fruits and nuts when available
More human food sources (garbage, pet food)
Bark, twigs, and stored seeds

The North American Wildlife Conservation points out that during cold winters, opossums may struggle to find enough food. Their bare ears, tail, and feet can get frostbite, which limits how far they can go looking for food when it’s cold.

How Do Opossums Find and Eat Their Food?

Opossums have developed special ways to find and eat their varied diet. According to the American Society of Mammalogists, these methods include:

Sensory Adaptations for Finding Food

Great sense of smell: Their main hunting tool, helps them find food in the dark
Sensitive whiskers: Help navigate and find food in dark or thick areas
Good hearing: Detects moving prey and threats
Poor eyesight: Mainly sees movement and light changes

Physical Features That Help Them Eat

Gripping tail: Helps with climbing to reach fruits
Thumbs on their back feet: Great for grabbing branches and food
50 teeth (more than any other North American animal): Perfect for their varied diet
Strong jaws: Can crush shells and bones of small prey

Hunting Behaviors

Night activity: Most active at night, less competition and danger
Slow, careful searching: Examining leaves, fallen logs, and hiding places
Opportunistic eating: Taking whatever food they find
Hunting alone: Usually forage by themselves to maximize food intake

If you’re interested in how animals adapt to different diets, our article on 10 Science-Backed Ways to Boost Your Brain explores how brain health is affected by what we eat, similar to how opossums have adapted their feeding strategies over millions of years.

Why the Opossum Diet Makes Them Valuable Neighbors

The varied eating habits of opossums provide several important benefits to our environment:

Ecological Benefit	How Opossum Diet Helps	Comparison to Other Animals
Tick Control	Eat 4,000-5,000 ticks weekly	Eat 3-4 times more ticks than most mammals
Pest Control	Eat roaches, rats, mice	More efficient than cats for some pests
Cleanup Services	Consume carrion and fallen fruit	Less messy than raccoons or skunks
Seed Spreading	Spread seeds through droppings	Help regrow native plants

Tick Control and Disease Reduction

Research from the Tick Encounter Resource Center at the University of Rhode Island confirms that opossums eat thousands of ticks per season. Since ticks spread Lyme disease and other serious illnesses, opossums provide a valuable public health service.

Pest Control

By eating cockroaches, rats, mice, and other household and farm pests, opossums act as free pest control. The National Pest Management Association recognizes their role in keeping rodent populations down.

Waste Management

Opossums are nature’s cleanup crew. By eating dead animals and fallen fruit, they help reduce disease spread and return nutrients to the ecosystem. Scientists at Cornell University have studied how scavengers like opossums improve ecosystem health through waste removal.

Seed Spreading

After eating fruits and berries, opossums spread seeds through their droppings, helping to regrow plant communities. According to the Natural Resources Conservation Service, this seed spreading is critical for keeping forests healthy and diverse.

This is similar to how some healthy foods help our own bodies regenerate, as explained in our article on The Joy of Fermented Foods: A Journey to Better Health.

What Nutritional Needs Do Opossums Have?

To support their active lifestyle, opossums have specific food needs. Research from the Journal of Zoo and Wildlife Medicine highlights several important aspects of opossum nutrition:

Protein Needs

Opossums need lots of protein, especially:

During growth phases (baby opossums)
In breeding females
During winter months when building fat reserves

Fat Consumption

Opossums seek high-fat foods, particularly before cold weather
Adult opossums can develop significant fat layers during fall
They cannot hibernate, so stored fat provides essential energy during food scarcity

Calcium and Other Minerals

Critical for marsupial bone development
Often obtained by consuming small bones, snail shells, and mineral-rich soils
Deficiencies can lead to metabolic bone disease

Vitamin Requirements

Vitamin D is essential for calcium metabolism
B vitamins support neurological function
Often obtained through varied diet and gut microbiome synthesis

Do Opossums Eat Human Food?

As human areas expand into natural places, opossums increasingly find food from human sources. The Humane Society of the United States notes several common interactions:

Pet Food

Open bowls of cat or dog food are major attractants
High in protein and easy to access
Can create dependency if consistently available

Garbage and Compost

Food waste provides easy meals
Compost piles contain both plant matter and invertebrates
Secure containers can prevent access and unwanted visits

Gardens and Orchards

Ripe fruits and vegetables are attractive food sources
May consume pests like slugs and insects while visiting gardens
Generally cause less damage than other wildlife like raccoons

Just as we need to watch what kinds of snacks we eat for health reasons, as discussed in our article 25 Cheap Healthy Snacks: Affordable Options for Smart Eating, it’s important to consider what human foods opossums might access in our yards.

Common Myths About What Opossums Eat

Several myths exist about what opossums eat, leading to unnecessary fear. The Wildlife Rehabilitation Center of Minnesota helps clarify these misconceptions:

Myth	Reality	Facts About Opossum Diet
“Opossums eat baby animals”	They rarely eat healthy young animals	They prefer easier meals like insects and fruit
“Opossums kill and eat pets”	They almost never attack pets	They’re non-aggressive and prefer to flee
“Opossums make a mess with garbage”	They eat in place, causing minimal mess	Unlike raccoons, they don’t scatter trash
“Opossums eat lots of chickens and eggs”	They rarely take healthy chickens	They might eat already dead poultry or occasional eggs

Myth: Opossums Mostly Eat Other Animals’ Babies

Reality: While opossums occasionally eat eggs or very small animals, they prefer easier meals like insects, fruits, and dead animals. They’re too slow to catch healthy adult animals or well-protected babies.

Myth: Opossums Kill and Eat Cats or Small Dogs

Reality: Opossums are non-aggressive and more likely to run away than fight. They pose virtually no threat to pets and would only eat a pet if they found it already dead.

Myth: Opossums Spread Garbage Everywhere

Reality: Unlike raccoons, which may scatter trash widely, opossums typically eat in place, causing minimal mess. They lack the dexterity that makes raccoons messier foragers.

Myth: Opossums Mainly Eat Chickens and Their Eggs

Reality: While they might take eggs or injured/dead poultry, healthy chickens are usually safe from opossums, which prefer easier meals. Simple coop security measures can prevent any issues.

For more information about how different animals benefit our local ecosystems, check out our article on 10 Healthy Ice Cream Ideas for Weight Loss & Wellness, which discusses how natural ingredients support our health, much like opossums support ecosystem health.

Should You Feed Opossums?

Many people wonder if they should provide food for visiting opossums. Wildlife experts from the USDA Wildlife Services and state wildlife agencies generally advise against intentional feeding for several reasons:

Why Feeding Opossums Isn’t Recommended

Creates dependency on human food sources
May increase disease spread among gathering animals
Can lead to habituation and loss of natural foraging behaviors
May attract unwanted wildlife like rats or raccoons
Could create conflicts with neighbors

Better Ways to Support Opossums

Keep natural areas with native plants
Allow fallen fruit to remain briefly before cleaning up
Create brush piles that attract insects (opossum food)
Install wildlife-friendly water sources
Reduce pesticide use to preserve insect food sources
Keep compost well-managed but accessible

What Do Captive Opossums Eat?

For wildlife rehabilitators caring for injured or orphaned opossums, diet is very important. According to the Opossum Society of the United States, proper nutrition includes:

For Adult Opossums in Rehabilitation

High-quality dog or cat food (typically 28-32% protein)
Fresh fruits and vegetables (apples, berries, sweet potatoes, greens)
Calcium supplements
Occasional lean meats, hard-boiled eggs, or insects
Limited treats for enrichment and medication delivery

For Orphaned Baby Opossums

Specialized marsupial milk replacer
Gradually introducing solid foods
Higher calcium and protein requirements
More frequent feeding schedule

Foods to Avoid Giving Opossums

Cat food exclusively (too high in fat)
Dairy products (opossums are lactose intolerant after weaning)
Processed human foods
High-sugar foods
Chocolate and caffeine
Onions and garlic
Avocado (potential toxicity)

For more information on proper animal nutrition and how diet affects health, check out our article 7 Surprising Russet Potato Nutrition Facts, which explains how even simple foods can have complex nutritional benefits.

Conservation and Coexistence

Understanding the opossum’s diet helps us appreciate their ecological role and coexist with these beneficial creatures. The National Wildlife Federation offers these suggestions for positive opossum interactions:

Creating Opossum-Friendly Habitat

Plant native fruit-bearing trees and shrubs
Maintain leaf litter and natural ground cover where possible
Create rock piles or brush heaps that attract invertebrates
Reduce pesticide use to preserve their natural food web

Preventing Unwanted Opossum Visits

Secure garbage in animal-proof containers
Feed pets indoors or remove outdoor dishes at night
Harvest ripe fruit promptly from gardens
Secure compost in wildlife-resistant bins
Block access to crawl spaces and under decks

Helping Opossums Safely

Drive carefully at night when opossums are active
Check pouches of females found dead on roads (joeys may survive)
Contact wildlife rehabilitators for injured or orphaned opossums
Support local wildlife conservation efforts

Conclusion: Appreciating Nature’s Cleanup Crew

The opossum’s diverse diet makes them one of nature’s most efficient cleanup crews. By consuming problematic insects, small rodents, carrion, and overripe fruit, they provide valuable ecosystem services while asking little in return.

Rather than fearing these misunderstood marsupials, we can appreciate their role in maintaining healthier ecosystems. Their consumption of disease-carrying ticks alone should earn them a place of honor in our backyards and wild spaces.

By understanding what opossums actually eat—versus what myths suggest—we can make informed decisions about how to coexist with these beneficial neighbors. Their remarkable dietary adaptability has helped them survive for millions of years, and with our support, they’ll continue providing their clean-up services for millions more.