We have heard a lot about possums helping you in pest control by consuming insects and bugs, but do possums eat snakes as well? We are going to find out.

Having a versatile diet, possums mostly eat insects, but they are not limited to this only; they can eat almost anything they find, including the garbage. Talking about snakes, possums do have the capability to eat snakes. Plus, possums have the natural resistance to digest venomous snakes that otherwise are dangerous for humans.

What kind of food do possums like to eat?

Not so picky when it comes to the food choice; that is how possums are defined. A typical possum’s diet contains anything that they can find easily. Known to be scavengers, most time of their life is spent foraging for food as they don’t have the ability to store, nor do they have fat that keeps them full for the time being.

Largely depends on the habitat of individual possums; what do possums like to eat may vary.

Nevertheless, possums are known to be omnivorous, and they will eat anything from fruits, plants, veggies, and meat. Insect, rodents, or dead animals, whatever they find readily available, possums will not think about a second to eat. Adjusting the diet as per the season and the environment, possums are more likely to eat insects, berries, fruits, garbage, seeds, eggs, and birds.

You will often find possums looking for food in kitchen cabinets, bird feeders, garbage cans, pet bowls, and in yards. Whatever they find easy, they will consume it.

In most cases, insects are said to contain the largest proportion of their diet. These mainly include cockroaches, grasshoppers, bees, ladybugs, cricket, and beetles. Possums are also fond of ticks, and therefore, possums are considered the best when it comes to reducing ticks. Moreover, possums also consume rabbits, mice, frogs, fish, and lizards.

Can possums eat snakes?

We all know how much possums love to eat different types of insects, but do they eat snakes, considering that they are poisonous?

You may be surprised to know, snakes are also tasty to possums, and they will eat any snake, poisonous or not. Possums are blessed with an immune system that provides resistance to snake venom.

The natural resistance ability to snake poisons makes possums an ideal predator. If, by chance, you are living where there are snakes, water moccasins, rattlesnakes, or copperheads, possums can turn out to be your friend and lifesaver.

On the other hand, possums are choosy when it comes to the type of snakes to eat. You will not find a possum eating Python because it’s not going to be an easy meal. Similarly, if possums find they will not be able to fight certain snakes, they prefer to ignore them. In case they are confronted, possums play dead as if there are no snakes.

Possums prefer to attack and eat snakes that they find easy.

Possum problems

If possums do eat snakes, why are they considered being problematic?

Bearing in mind that possums help you get rid of and save your family from the poisonous snakes, they are still unbearable. From ruining your backyard to creating a mess of your house, the nuisance they cause makes people remove them once and for all.

Besides the havoc they cause, the possum’s infestation also leads to bacterial growth, the spread of infectious diseases, and damage to the property. Overall, this turns out to be massive damage.

How to deal with possum problems

In most cases, it is best that you avoid possums and remove them from your house and also from the surrounding areas. The potential damage possums can cause is intolerable.

Dealing with possums requires you to take significant measures. From removing attractions such as food, covering your bins, and blocking all entrances, taking multiple steps simultaneously will help you toss out all. Furthermore, you must check out how to get rid of possums. The more information you have, the better steps you will be able to take.

Conclusion

It turns out possums not only help in pest control but also prove to be efficient when it comes to keeping snakes away. Possums are immune to snake venom, and therefore, poisonous snakes are not a problem for them as well. However, there are some snake breeds that aren’t afraid of possums, and possums can’t fight with them. Python is one example.

Whatever the case is, possums are not good to have around. Have you ever seen a possum eating snakes?