You woke up to the middle of a possum infestation in your house, speculating why do they only appear at night? Are possums nocturnal, or is it just another technique to hide? Let’s find out.
Living in close proximity, possums can be found anywhere, no matter where you live. Prevalent in urban areas, possums are known to be chasers, and they will turn everything upside down in search of food or shelter.
Possum plays an important role in the ecosystem as they tend to help in pest control by consuming insects, bugs, and small flies. Possums are usually thought of as being nocturnal as they mostly appear during the dark hours only. But it’s not always true. Possums are only truly nocturnal during certain times of the year.
In order to deal with possums, the right way, it is crucial that we find out are possums nocturnal or not. So, let’s start by first knowing how possums actually look so that we know who we are dealing with.
About possums
A small creature of size ranging from 22 to 28 inches long with a tail, more or less looks like a rat. Preferring to live in forestry areas, possums are not so picky, and they can also be found near lakes and ponds. As possums do not store any food, nor do they have fat, they remain in search of food on a regular basis.
As possums are known to be omnivores, they eat almost anything from fruits, veggies, plants, and meat. Typically, you will find them hunting for food in trash bins or in yards. Moreover, they can also raid chicken coops to eat chicks and eggs to cool down their hunger. They eat anything that is easy to catch.
If they do not find anything on the ground, they have the ability to climb on trees to eat fruits, flowers, or leaves.
Are possums nocturnal or not?
Possums are generally nocturnal, and their senses are developed for nighttime activity. Hence, possums spend the daytime hours in underground burrows or dens since they have senses that are best used at night.
Additionally, detecting danger is easy for possums because they are highly aware of their environments. If a potential predator approaches, possums will generally “play possum”, which means that they will act to be dead, and the predator will lose interest to attack or indulge in a fight.
Possums generally stay close to their den while rummaging for food in case of potential danger arises. It can be particularly helpful since possums do not have a lot of defensive techniques, except for the ability to growl and play dead while showing their teeth.
Due to their nocturnal behaviors, possums can be hard to detect or remove.
Is it normal to see possums during the day?
While possums are known to be nocturnal, you can still see them roaming around during the daylight. It happens typically either because possums are hungry and looking for food, or they are disturbed in their nest by predators or other animals.
However, possums are night riders, and it will be a rare scene if you are able to spot them in the light of day.
Should you be worried about the presence of possums?
Though possums do not possess any direct threat, they are prone to carry diseases that can spread around easily. No matter whether they appear during the day or night, if they are affected with any disease, it can be spread through either urine or other body fluids.
Besides diseases, the nuisance they create is alone enough to make you always get rid of them forever. Before you take any step to remove them, read about the right process here: how to get rid of possums
Only the right steps can help you eliminate the risk of possums around you.
Conclusion
It is evident that possums are nocturnal, but that does not also mean that you will not ever see them during the day. It’s always best to avoid them in the first place, so there is no chance you will contract any disease. Other than that, possums are not so dangerous to humans, and if you are seeing them during the night, they might be looking for food only.
As now you know, possums are nocturnal; you better know what you need to do to stop them from entering your house.