Male and female Ringtail possums live together as pairs and sometimes in groups of eight. Ringtail possums build spherical nests (dreys) made of leaves and twigs in the branches of trees. Brushtail possums live in tree hollows.
Opossums are solitary animals except when coming together to mate or when females have young. Opossums breed from January to July. After about 2 weeks, they give birth to a litter of 1–13 kits. Kits are born blind and hairless without well-developed rear limbs.
Possums can't protect themselves adequately against predators, so these marsupials don't stay in a particular place for very long. The only possum that remains in a specific nest for very long is a female possum with babies. Other possums move their nests frequently to prevent predators from locating them.
DO NOT TRAP. Opossums are transient animals, staying only 2-3 days in an area before moving on.
Opossums are solitary animals, except when females are with their young, or for brief interludes during breeding season. Only male opossums are territorial, and they will fight violently during mating season.
Brushtail possums are a solitary specie, preferring to live alone, however in the inner city they are often found living in groups. Male and female Ringtail possums live together as pairs and sometimes in groups of eight. Ringtail possums build spherical nests (dreys) made of leaves and twigs in the branches of trees.
If you have released a possum elsewhere in the past, it may look like it has returned. This is highly unlikely. The possum you relocated will have died under very stressful circumstances. Possums are part of the natural and urban environment and are territorial.
The home range of an opossum is about 50 acres. They are not territorial to the extent that they defend their ranges from other opossums. Many opossum ranges overlap, and good quality habitats may support 20 opossums to the square mile.
Mother Nature Network lauded possums for their pest control attributes, explaining, "Since their diet allows them to indulge on snails, slugs and beetles, they are a welcome addition to the garden. Opossums also keep rats and cockroaches at bay by competing with them for food.
Opossums are awake and grooming between 6:00 PM and 8:00 AM, with most types of other activities occurring between 10:00 PM and 8:00 AM. The opossums spend the rest of the day, 8:00 AM through 6:00 PM, resting or sleeping.
Possums will be attracted to your yard if they can easily find a source of food in it. If you take away the source of food, opossums won't have much incentive to stick around. This source can be pet food that is stored outside, unsealed trash cans, or even fruit that has fallen to the ground from your fruit trees.
Look for holes under eaves; loose tiles or roofing iron; or access from underneath a house up through wall cavities to the roof. Possums can squeeze through a nine-centimetre gap!
Opossum droppings average 1–2" in length, are smooth on the sides, and may be covered in white or yellowish mold growth. Fresh opossum droppings are brown in color. A unique characteristic of opossum fecal matter is that it tends to curl as the animal excretes the waste.
Opossums are not aggressive and will not chase people or pets, but may hiss and growl if their food or den is threatened. Opossums have 50 teeth and will bite if handled. Opossums may also play “possum”; a behavior where they appear to be dead or in a trance like state when threatened.
A female possum is called a 'Jill', a male possum is called a 'Jack', and a young possum is called a 'Joeys'. A group of possums is called a passel.
Do not feed possums almonds, cheese, onions, dairy products, green potatoes or junk food. Put food in containers in high, sheltered areas. Spread the food throughout the enclosure to promote natural foraging. Possums need fresh water daily.
Possums are repelled by the stench of garlic, ammonia and mothballs. So go ahead and scatter those around where you think possums might hang out. Garlic works best when it's crushed.
Carbon dioxide gas is the most appropriate technique to euthanize opossums. Opossums also can be humanely killed with a gunshot to the head, if legal and safe in your area.
Installing motion-activated sprinklers or lights can get expensive. However, it can be effective if you can't seem to keep them away. The sudden light or water will scare the opossums away and deter them from coming back. Predator Guard's Solar LED Deterrent Lights work well for nocturnal predators and pest animals.
A nocturnal animal, it spends the day in a den in a hollow branch, tree-trunk, fallen log, rock cavity or even a hollow termite mound. Brushtail Possums prefer to live by themselves, not with other possums. The Brushtail Possum moves rapidly among trees and will leap from one branch to another.
Ring-tail possum poo is about 1 cm long and a dark brown to black colour, and can be best described as an uneven pellet that looks a lot like an olive pit.
Possums like to sleep in the dark, so placing a light in the roof cavity and keeping it switched on for several days and nights may stop them from returning. There are also motion activated ultrasonic devices available that are triggered once a possum crosses the sensor, which may frighten possums away.
Opossums have high mortality rates at all ages. They are killed by dogs, coyotes, foxes, raccoons, bobcats, eagles, hawks, and owls, with young opossums being the most vulnerable.
These animals prefer sweet foods such as a honeybun with the wrapper open, or half of a mashed banana. The bait should be placed near the back of the trap. This ensures that the possum will need to step on the trigger plate in order to reach the food.