The only North American marsupial, these shy, non-aggressive creatures will go to great lengths to avoid confrontations with other animals or man. However, if cornered, these creatures do have many teeth and, as with any wild animal, they may bite, The benefits of opossums far outweigh the problems they cause; but because of their high visibility in our neighborhoods a little knowledge about them may result in greater tolerance of these little nomads.

When the young opossums are born, they are little more than embryos. After birth, they crawl into the mother's pouch where they nurse and mature for about 10 weeks, They become independent of the mother at about 3 months of age. Many common opossum sightings involve the mother opossum waddling along with 10 or 12 furry little creatures attached to her. Often the babies fall off, accounting for many "orphans" brought to wildlife rehabbers. Even more frequent sightings involve opossums n roads, having been hit by cars. Concerned citizens are urged to check the dead opossum. If female, there may still living babies inside the pouch. Thousands of baby opossums have been saved by those attentive citizens who have transported the dead mother with her living babies still attached, to the nearest wildlife rehabilitation center. Opossums are perhaps the most fascinating of all the wildlife in our area and are an important and beneficial part of the "wildlife scene".

HOW TO CO-EXIST

• Do not leave pet food or trash outdoors at night. This is an open invitation to dinner for opossums.
  
  
• Opossums rarely stay in one area for more than a few nights, so fear of them "taking over" an area is not a factor.
  
  
• Pick fruit and garden crops when ripe to discourage opossums and do not leave rotten fruit or crops on the ground.
  
  
• Opossums use abandoned burrows of other animals rather than digging their own. By eliminating brush piles, dilapidated buildings, and holes under concrete slabs, you will eliminate opossum hotels.
  
  
• Opossums occasionally enter homes through pet doors. They can generally be coaxed outside by a broom, or the problem can be entirely avoided by securing pet doors at night.
  
  

BENEFITS
Opossums rarely cause problems for humans, but often frighten people by their rat-like appearance. Opossums are excellent at rodent and insect control; and, being carrion eaters, they help keep roadways and neighborhoods clean. Opossums are more beneficial as scavengers than harmful for any damage they cause. A neighborhood with opossums tends to be considerably cleaner than a neighborhood without them.

Click here for a printable collection of the articles listed above from the booklet "Bats In Your Belfry, Tips On Co-Existing With Urban Wildlife."