Mythbusting Opossum Facts | Backyard Nature
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- Опубліковано 8 вер 2024
- What's the difference between an opossum and a possum? Are opossums really disease-driven? Explore the myths and misconceptions about the misunderstood opossum with wildlife filmmaker Alex Goetz.
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We have an opossum that lives in the hedges between my house and the neighbors. We found it because it would come out at night and eat the cat food we leave out for the neighborhood strays. We named it Cotton.
TOTALLY COOL lol
and a raccoon.
Same here lol
Anything that eats ticks is a good neighbor any day of the week! I wish we had opossums here in Sweden, because ticks are getting to be a huge problem spreading Borrelia (Lyme disease), TBE and other dangerous health issues.
A B source?
wonder if there would be downsides to introducing them into the ecosystem there?
Get some turkeys. Or guinea fowl. Turkeys eat more ticks in a month than opossums do in a year. Guinea fowl eat more in a week than opossums do in a year.
I didn't use to like them until I found that out a few years ago.
@@pforgottonsoul there are always downsides to introducing a non native species to other ecosystems. They can often quickly cause food source and other issues for native animals. Ecosystems are a unique balance of animals, plants and weather systems. Invasive species can be so disruptive.
It's difficult to 'rile' an opposum! I live in a rural area and have had numerous opposum encounters. Many years ago, I had a dog that was very territorial about his outside dish. On this particular night, an opposum got too curious about the dog dish and my dog went after the possum. It collaspsed, played dead, but hadn't quite got the concept that you need to stay like that to fool the dog. And so began a cycle of barking, chasing and playing dead playing out across my yard, until the pair got far enough from the dog dish. At the edge of the yard, the possum waded into the weeds and my dog being very proud of his heroic defense of his dish trotted back to patrol his area.😎
I get possum with few babies in my covered patio, and I have a dog. Dog is going crazy usually at night time. Barking and jumping on glass door in livingroom.
Do you have idea this possum will go away soon, or maybe you know what to do to let them go away.
I feed them every night with left over food dogfoods and fruits and veggies with raccoons and stray cats. They all eat side by side. Been years feeding them. I put buckets of fresh 💧 too before I go to work. Its a stress release for me as a frontliner. I love them too.. they know when to come when my light is on they come. I watch them behind my back door.. they come back every night with their babies. I don't interact with them
They are still wild.
I'm a nurse and a frontliner too. I wish you good health. Stay strong and positive everyday. We can do this.
Thank you for your service!
I have one living under the shed in my backyard. Sometimes I see him in my garage during the day sleeping. He's pretty chill, I leave him be.
This is the environmental education that works. And very well done.
So sweet to show the calm demeanor of oposums. I like to have them in my garden!
I usually have them around my yard and am not afraid of them. My little dog bugs them so I have to keep him away .
If they eat t ticks we should be feeding them and taking care of them. Ticks have gone insane in Michigan.
Here in Indiana too. Baby Ticks spend the winter on mice and voles, so when there isn't enough predators to eat the mice, the ticks explode. Opossums help, but coyotes and foxes would also help even more.
@@ambulocetusnatans Game birds should be completely off the hunting schedule.
@@demonorse Who is talking about birds?
@@ambulocetusnatans I guess that was a bit ambiguous, we were discussing the opossum eating ticks, game birds like pheasant, grouse, woodcock, etc eat ticks all day long. You're right though, nobody knew wtf I was talking about.
@@demonorse Birds do eat ticks, but they can't keep the system from going out of whack. The reason there are too many ticks is because there aren't enough coyotes and foxes to eat the mice and voles. Some wolves to eat the extra deer would also help.
Hi Alex
Thankyou for showing the opossum in such a great way. I live in Ontario Canada and I rescued opossums for 16 years. They are the most unique and misunderstood animal around. They are amazing creatures. Unfortunately I had to give up my rehab rescue, however if I find an injured or orphaned opossum it still gets taken care of. Opossums are adorable. Leta from Possum Junction
I did not realize they had expanded their range that far north. Cool!
Only difference this far north....We don't eat the possums like the hillbillies do down south!
They are incredibly cute. The video was beautifully shot, too!
When I lived in Myrtle Beach SC I had a family of opossums living under my shed with a family of feral cats. They ate the food I put out for and with the cats and never fought. There were 2 adults and 2 babies living there. An all around good experience.
I have a family living under my shed. I was petrified when I found out but I've warmed up to the idea
They look so adorable in this video compared to the majority of Opossum footage I've seen online (I live in the UK so I've never seen a wild one)
I'm in the US and I've seen a few before. They're actually pretty cute, especially the babies. The only time they really look scary is if they're very old or showing their teeth when threatened.
@MacKinley they are mainly nocturnal. I work rotating shifts, and they are always out and about once it gets dark. We have had two show up in our yard, and they are so precious.
I live in texas so you could see one in the grass often, or in your garage hahaha
@MacKinley That's how they have managed to avoid going extinct. Most of them are very good at avoiding detection by predators, at least in their first year of life. Towards the end of their lives they literally act like they are drunk and just wander across the street in broad daylight.
Myth: Opossums are ugly and creepy
Fact: Opossums are cute
An opossum came through our metal front gate and after seeing it's face, I can tell you those things are fugly when they play dead.
I think people thinks,that opossum is more like a rat and humans are scared of rats... It actually looks close to the rats tbh !
I saw an opossum open its mouth and I now have a strong dislike for them. They cute tho
frist lonsat Especially the little ones. They are easily as cute as kittens. Problem is: from their teenage days on, they start getting chunky and lose that soft, sweet, kittenish appeal.
opossums are wierd
I see these little guys every now and then and yes I do dislike them but looking at this video has changed me view :) hehehe thanks!
How can you like and dislike it at the same time?
I often wondered what, if any, the difference was between the two words. Now I know so thank you 😊
I love these little creatures. I think they are adorable!
they are
I've come to love these little guys. They're all over in rural GA where I'm from.
I think Possums are ADORABLE!!! ❤ We have one in our backyard, so cute, love them.
Thanks a lot for the clarification !
While these critters are interesting, I'm more interested in the ecosystem that Alex is based in! Maybe in a future episode we could get some information and footage ?
Great idea!
I love opossums! So cute and chill. I wonder if they would wear gloves in the winter? Starts knitting...
Maybe a tail warmer 😂
I seriously want to know. What is cute about them? I think they look like giant beady eyed rats.
I caught an Opossum in my garage. She seemed almost tame, with a really cute face. I used a spring trap cage with the cheapest & smelliest dog food to bait the trap. I named her 'Knocks', because she delicately knocked stuff over in the Garage. I could easily see how you could get attached to these critters. Anyway, i released her on the Beautiful Belle Isle in Detroit, where there is water and many garbage trash cans to pick & choose from. When i opened the back van door, she was jumping around like she almost knew this was her new home. She took off running, as i said adios Knockers.
Great video, by the way.
Just a few days ago, I was cleaning out my parent's shed in the backyard, got everything out and went to go pick up a broken down heater and low and behold there sat an Opossum, scared the shit out of me, he hissed at me and jumped back and gave him his space. Was not mad at him or anything, totally understand why he would be pissed since we were dismantling his home.
We have opossums in our yard almost every night. We love them. They actually very sweet animals if you are gentle with them. I love recording them.
Thank you for showing the awesome opossum!
Never realized bef ..the fact of Opossum vs Possum -- the letter "O" does make a huge difference😮 THANKS for clearing the misconception.
Love these good, good friends.
Omg they are so cute! 🥰 Last summer we saw a big mother opossum with 2 babies on her back run on top of our wooden fence, glad you got to show them from up close! Thank you and many blessings! ✌😃❤🌎
We just had an opossum roaming our yard during for 3 days. We stopped seeing him and hope he’s still alive and well. We’re in Northern Westchester, NY. We were so excited to finally experience one. I did some research online and came across this video. Thank you, Alex Goetz, for educating people. When I told friends of our recent visitor a few asked, “What are you going to do?” I remarked that we have 2 acres of woods, why do I have to do something? Now, I know more and will spread the fact they eat lots of tick since we are in prime Lyme country.
opossums are underrated in their cuteness.
afaik they seem pretty chill. don't threaten them and they won't threaten you.
Fantastic shots! I love oppossums. There's a family that frequents this in-between fence area by my garage and I got to see the mum with a few babies riding along. And being in Michigan and an avid camper, anything that eats ticks is a friend of mine.
i love the way you are explaining those facts
This was a fantastic look into the importance of opossums for our ecosystem! I noticed some roaming in my urban backyard so I wanted to find out what they were doing. Thanks for this video! I am more educated on them and actually find them cute!
I feel bad for hating these things in Central PA when I was much younger.
It was all out of pathetic fear.
Glad I came around from once thinking they were pests.
I have one that comes up the fire escape and visits me every night at my back window and I feed him freezdried bugs, cat food, cut up apples, oranges I peel the skins off for him, get freeze dried cranberries he is not a fan of
bananas we finally got him eating out of the palm of our hand I think they are so adorable :) I saw him one day on the fire escape and he was so afraid and I just started feeding him now when I open my window he dosen't run away he comes up to me and what not took me a month to gain his trust soon I will leave the window open let him come in and chill and leave when ready:)
Not only do they eats ticks, but slugs, too! They often smell kind of bad but better a bit of funk than an unchecked proliferation of slugs and tricks.
I hand fed the ones in my back yard. It took year for them to trust me, but damn did
they grow up to be huge!
Just saw my first Opossum at 6"30 this morning in my back garden here in Toronto ,looks like he,s hanging out with the Squirrels made my day.
And they don't hang upside down by their tails, who started that rumor. And yet they still show the opossums hanging upside down in the Ice age movie. :/
Their tails are prehensile though.
@@Sara3346 Yes, a very important prehensile appendage it is. I sometimes wish I had an extra hand for balance. Lucky critters! ☺
I throw out my scraps on the side of our house, and something was in the bushes, so my Dad put out a motion detection camera, and we discovered an opossum has been eating the scraps. It lives in our neighbors backyard, their yard is like a jungle. Lots of blackberry vines, and one night we heard it screaming, we went back there and we believe it got caught in the blackberry vine, and we couldn't reach it, luckily it got out and is doing well. Scraps still go every time. ❤️
Thanks good works
Opossums are great cleaners of the environment. It looks like they are always smiling... that's what makes em so cute.
Opossum are the only animals I trap and release on site. Raccoons and mink are released miles away.
Stop trapping animals period.
@@anoniconoclast2030 No.
@@tedmartinez3857 Just give it a good try. You can become a better man if you try.
@@anoniconoclast2030 You have no idea how the world works man I trap animals that are a threat to my pets, livestock, and the environment. Invasive species are illegal to release for a reason and there is plenty of forrest land nearby for native species to exist in a natural environment instead of becoming dependent on pilfering food or animals in coops. Just because your local city exterminated all of the local wildlife near you and takes care of the larger pests doesn't make you morally superior for thinking you don't contribute to an even worse fate than I give the animals I trap.
@@tedmartinez3857 Ok, now you are just being a meany. I am going to get my nails done and then off to the animal shelter to rescue a puppy. Then maybe take a nap so I can get my cards read by the mystic later. I hope you can stop being so mean to the wildlife and let them be and have fun. Bye sweetie.
“I said one bite”
"I’m trying, I have a different kind of teeth than you; I'm an opossum!"
AGREED, all you have to do is educate and KaBOOM you're on your way to common sense:)
Now I learned something new about opossums, without the o possums are from Australia but the possum with the o are opossums from North America. I learn why opossums are immune to rabies cause their body temperature is low.
What I learned about opossums is that they're immune to snake venom and the reason why is that a serum called peptide gives the opossum the power of venom immunity.
I grovel at your feet and request longer videos. Like a good song..as an interesting topic one never wants the content to be lacking. Enjoyed and the request is a personal one so please appease the masses before me. Ty for video. Love from Texas
Good information nicely done.
Thanks for sharing this.
I LOVE Opossums!
One baby opossum got stuck in a rock pit in my house. It looked so cute - when I went very close it showed all its teeth with a hissing noise - silly thing, so small, but wants to scare away. Fed it bread and water. The next day called pet control and they took it away - made sure they will not euthanize it.
Cool, I did not know they ate ticks! I knew they ate mice around my old property and weren't really a bother to anyone.
Ive actually walked up to them and offered food and petted them i was interested to see they did not feel threatened enough to play full possum just stood there unsure.
Thank you for sharing this thoughtful and informative piece.
Opossums really like my backyard, I see them there sometimes. Glad to know they are a good kind of visitor.
Great video :3
I have an opossum that lives in the shrubs in my backyard. She's very friendly and we make sure to feed her every night
Totally loved this video, that you for sharing this information, Alex Goetz. We agree and appreciate these neighbors.
Thanks for the valuable information about these beautiful animals.
We live in Southern Maine and have not had any significant problems with ticks despite the fact that our property is surrounded by shrubby woodlands and that I am an avid gardener. It is all because of the opossums we have living in an artificial den I constructed many years ago. We see them on the rare occasion, and generally leave them alone to do their thing. And eating a TON of ticks is definitely their thing!
They are adorable and so sweet. We have a local family- mother we named Moon Unit and son Dweezil are so comfortable around us they hardly even bat an eye when we walk by them. They take residence under our porch, shed or any other space they can find that’s near us. We don’t intentionally feed them but I’d bet anything the real reason they stick around (aside from the amazing company of my wife and myself) is the seed and suet feeders we keep fully stocked year round for the birds. Even though the feeders are meant for the birds (who are extremely messy eaters) the squirrels will help themselves to seed and suet leaving an even bigger mess. Such a large mess in fact that Dweezil and Moony can be spotted nomming up the scraps in the grass most nights. Out of all the animals that hang out around our house like deer, groundhogs, moles, racons, rabbits, frogs, toads, snakes, dozens of species of birds and many more, the opossums are probably the least skittish, least aggressive (bluejays can be mean af) and most chill. We love those lil guys. 😊
I've always heard that they are strictly nocturnal, and are blinded by lights, which is another reason they stop right in front of your car and stare into the headlights, but seeing one out in the daylight really disproves this belief. Interesting. We have a lot of them in my inner city neighborhood. I always wondered where they slept and borrowed down until one night my dog was going crazy at a newly dug hole under my shed. I figured the rabbits burrowed a hole down in there so I threw some strawberries and apples out there. I watched the rabbits come out, and then the opposom family right behind it. I don't mind them living under there, i was worried for a while because my dog is a 16 lb mine eskie, he corners cats and rabbits, I thought for sure if one were cornered it would bite, but it just played dead. I keep an ear and eye out when my dog starts barking.
Is it weird that I relate to this animal like I'm not very good with people and in quite shy some people will assume I'm being mean by being quiet or I'm aragont. Some people see me as nuciance but I try my best to be helpful. However there are people who see me for me just like how there are people who know the opposum isn't a nuciance.
And now you know why there's so many opossum fursonas out there.
They are OFF THE CHARTS adorable tbh
We love the opossum that lives in our backyard. We feed him scraps from our dinner.
I know you mean well, but it's really NOT a good idea. Wild animals must remain wild, retain a fear of man and not become dependent on them for food. Human food is especially bad for them and can cause them health issues. Please read up on it.
@@seaglass22 very well said. I get upset seeing people do this. I know they mean no harm, but it is doing harm. The only thing that'd be remotely good for them would be chicken bones because of the calcium requirements. But I still wouldn't feed them. They have to stay wild.
How about some of their amazing abilities, like immunity to many venoms and even poisons that would kill us (or any other creature). However, it almost seems a trade-off for their very short lifespan, typically less than 3 years ...
I love Opossums :)
Beautiful filming. I've never hated them. I still think they're ugly but I've always been fine with them. Looks don't matter to me about them. We once had one get into the birdseed in the garage. It hissed at us. XD
So cuteeeeeeeee the first shot
Northwest Ohio, eh? I live about 2 hours from that Oak Openings, in Williams County. I actually have an opossum that’s been running around our yard lately and I’m trying to find some info about our dogs’ safety around it or if I’m going to find it out in the garage or something. You gained a subscriber and an interested “listener”, if that’s what you want to call it lol.
Big Thanks! ❤So awesome you cleared their's reputation. ❤ I'm blessed with one in my garden! It never played dead around me☺
They come everynight in my backyard. I feed them with dog food, fruits, eggs and etc. They're beautiful animals. God's creations are amazing. They're created for a reason like us human beings. GODBLESS
Next time I see my neighborhood Opossum, I will walk over and shake its paw and say Thank you. Maybe even kiss its snout.
I wouldn't recommend that cuz A. You should never disturb wildlife and B. You could probably end up getting their meal on your lips, which would be nasty. Instead, just go to a wildlife rehabber and kiss one of those instead.
@@SonicBoone56 you should still say thank you though.
@@Sara3346 of course!
Thanks for this explanation...precise but simple.
So Cute!
Great video! I enjoyed it very much!
I'm from eastern europe and we have a lot of ticks here and we don't have any animals who eats them :/ Wish we had opossum alike animal here too !
Yeah I can say for a fact even when they show their teeth they're not violent . They wouldn't bite me when I was able to pet them but out of fear they might snap at food but they're not trying to hurt you they're trying to intimidate.
Thanks!
Brilliant 👍🏾👍🏾
I recently read that Opossums do not eat thousands of ticks, as previously believed. They supposedly will consume ticks on their own bodies. I love them and in the winter I try to feed them so they can survive. Winter is hard on them.
i love Opossums they are so interesting
I think they are very cute. Such good mamas, and those ears! so cute. We have a friendly one we feed on our deck.
cute is an understatement
Very cute - statement
Super super cute - over statement
I have one that gets on my deck and drops into my garbage can (lid got lost somehow) There is nothing to eat in there except some cans that I forgot to rinse. Anyway, I will toss in something for it to eat and 10 mins later, lay the can down, so it can leave. I like them.
Thanks for the shot of you with your camera: I wondered how you got such great possum shots.
(The possum in our backyard is named Sir Duke.)
I've gotten really into opossum videos lately. I'm learning a lot and I've have a weird urge to nuzzle those ears!
Our only marsupial!😁
I used to be like "Australia gets Kangaroos, Koalas, and Wombats, and we get Opossums", but now I appreciate that this is the marsupial we got!
Huh I never ever saw Opossums as nuisance animals
Thank you for making this video ❤
Love the video and that you're trying to show love to opossums, but the tick fact has been debunked pretty recently. The 5,000 ticks thing was done on lab opossums that were given ticks. Studies of wild opossums have shown that they don't really eat that many ticks at all. They can eat them, but they usually don't because they're not a big part of their diet
Thank you so much for doing this video! For the first time in 20 years I saw an oopossum in my backyard and it freaked me out. I thought it would be aggressive, have rabies and would attack me when I went out into my backyard - but it didn’t run it was just staring at me. Which freaked me out even more. I scared it off by chasing it with a little branch, but I feel OK now and I wouldn’t do that again. It’s OK if he stays in my backyard. This was during broad daylight so it surprised me because I thought they were nocturnal. Anyways I feel so much better knowing that they’re harmless and actually good for the environment. So thank you so much for changing my mind on the subject tonight.
The video fails to mention Opossum defense strategies: when approached, they open their mouth wide, freeze and salivate. This may look like an animal with rabies.
To predators, it signals "you wouldn't want to catch this disease, would you?", yet they're perfectly healthy.
Thanks.. great video 👍
I would adore them if they stopped walking right in front of my car on mountain roads in the middle of the night. They pop up too close for safe swerve and then just stare at your headlights. Two seconds total and I’m crying for the rest of the night.
Yes. Thank you. ♥️🦋
Extra slick work
I have one that comes to my backdoor at night to eat cat food I leave out for the strays in my neighborhood. I call him Tom Cruise, and once in a while I’ll put an apple out for him.
They are the cutest!
They're the only wild animals I know that you can genuinely just pick up by the nape of their neck and talk to for a minute before letting them go. They just opossum out. Picked them out the trash a few times before. Held it for my cats to inspect, then let it go.
Amazing video. Congratulations.
I'm nursing a baby opossum now and he is doing very good so far. I have him eating kitten formula and then i hold him for a wile before putting him back in his carrier. Soon it will be time to build a big cage but i don't think he will be in it much lol.
i love them