Possums eat almost anything. The North American Virginia opossum is an omnivore that eats small mammals, birds, insects, worms, fruit, seeds and other plants, says the Smithsonian’s National Zoo. It also scavenges dead animals and rubbish. Stomach studies show that, despite the popular story, it eats hardly any ticks.
In the United States and Canada, “possum” means the Virginia opossum (Didelphis virginiana), North America’s only marsupial. Australia has its own possums, which are different animals with different diets. We cover the opossum first, then the Australian possums further down.
What do possums eat in the wild?
Opossums are opportunists. They eat whatever is easy to find in that season, according to the Smithsonian’s National Zoo. In summer that means lots of insects and fruit. In winter they rely more on dead animals and whatever else they can scavenge.
Animal Diversity Web, from the University of Michigan, sums up diet studies. Mammal remains made up 14 to 27% of the food found, and fruit, seeds and bulbs 10 to 18%. Much of that meat is carrion, meaning animals that were already dead. Opossums are well known for eating roadkill.
| Food group | Examples | How important |
|---|---|---|
| Meat and carrion | Mice, voles, roadkill, dead animals | 14–27% of diet in stomach studies (ADW) |
| Fruit and seeds | Berries, persimmons, fallen apples, seeds, bulbs | 10–18% (ADW) |
| Insects and other small animals | Beetles, grasshoppers, earthworms, snails | Common, especially in warm months |
| Birds and eggs | Eggs, chicks, small birds | Taken when found |
| Snakes | Including venomous species | Occasional |
| Human food | Rubbish, pet food, compost, birdseed | Common near homes |
| Ticks | Not found in wild opossum stomachs | Very rare or none (Hennessy & Hild 2021) |
The examples of berries, persimmons and beetles are typical foods, not measured shares. Percentages differ between studies, places and seasons.
Do possums really eat ticks?
Probably not many. You may have seen the claim that one opossum eats thousands of ticks a week. That idea came from a lab study where caged opossums groomed off ticks placed on them. Scientists then scaled the numbers up to wild animals.
A 2021 study in Ticks and Tick-borne Diseases checked what wild opossums actually eat. Cecilia Hennessy and Kaitlyn Hild searched the stomachs of 32 opossums from central Illinois under a microscope. They found no ticks or tick parts at all. They also reviewed 23 earlier diet studies, and none of those found ticks either.
So opossums are not a tick-control service. They are still useful neighbours, though. They clean up carrion, fallen fruit and garden pests such as slugs and snails.
Can possums eat snakes?
Yes. Animal Diversity Web says Virginia opossums are resistant to the venom of eastern and western diamondback rattlesnakes, copperheads and cottonmouths. That means a snake bite that could kill a dog may not hurt an opossum. They sometimes kill and eat these snakes.
They also have a lot of teeth to eat with: 50, more than any other North American land mammal. That toolkit works for crunching beetles, chewing fruit and tearing meat.
What do baby possums eat?
For their first weeks, baby opossums drink only their mother’s milk. The newborns are tiny when they crawl into her pouch. They stay there for about two months, says the Smithsonian’s National Zoo. After that they ride on her back and start to try solid food.
They are weaned at about 105 days old. By then they eat the same mix of insects, fruit and small animals as adults. If you find a baby opossum alone, contact a licensed wildlife rehabilitator. Please don’t give it cow’s milk or pet food.
Should you feed possums?
No. Wild opossums find plenty of food on their own. Feeding them teaches them to hang around houses, where they meet dogs and cars. Pet food left outside also draws in raccoons, skunks and rats.
The Wildlife Management Institute and New York’s wildlife agency advise feeding pets indoors. If you must feed pets outside, remove the dish and clean up straight after. Keep rubbish and compost in bins with locking lids. Pick up fallen fruit, too.
What about zoos? The Smithsonian’s National Zoo feeds its opossums fish, meat, eggs, pellets, fruit, vegetables and mushrooms. That is a balanced diet planned by zoo nutritionists. It is not a recipe for wild animals in your garden.
What do Australian possums eat?
Australian possums are marsupials too, but they are only distant relatives of the Virginia opossum. Most eat far more plants.
Common brushtail possum
In the wild, the brushtail possum eats leaves, flowers and fruit, says the Australian Museum. In the suburbs, it “will eat almost anything”. Brushtails live in every Australian state and territory. They were also taken to New Zealand in the 1830s, where they are now a pest.
Mountain pygmy possum
This tiny possum lives high in the Australian Alps and hibernates through winter. Bogong moths usually make up about 30 to 50% of everything it eats, according to a 2019 study in PeerJ. The moths fly to the mountains each spring, just as the possums wake up hungry. It also eats seeds and fruit from mountain plum pine and snow beard heath. The species is Critically Endangered.
Curious how long these animals live? Read how long possums live. To meet another pouched mammal, see adaptations of a kangaroo. For a very different menu, compare what polar bears eat.
Frequently asked questions
What is a possum's favourite food?
There is no single favourite. Virginia opossums eat whatever is easiest to get that season: insects and fruit in summer, carrion and scraps in winter. Near houses, pet food and rubbish are easy wins. In Australia, brushtail possums prefer leaves, flowers and fruit, and mountain pygmy possums love Bogong moths.
Do possums eat cats or dogs?
No. A Virginia opossum weighs about 2 to 3 kg (4 to 6 lb), about the size of a small cat, and it avoids fights. Opossums may eat cat or dog food left outside, and they will scavenge a dead animal. They do not hunt pets.
Do possums eat rats and mice?
Sometimes. Small mammals such as mice and voles are part of the Virginia opossum's diet, says the Smithsonian's National Zoo. Opossums are slow, though, so they catch what they can and eat a lot of mammals that are already dead.
Is it safe to leave out food for possums?
It's best not to. Wildlife agencies advise against it, because feeding draws opossums, raccoons and skunks close to houses, pets and roads. It can also spread disease between animals. If you care about opossums, keep bins closed and let them forage on their own.
Sources
- Smithsonian's National Zoo and Conservation Biology Institute. Virginia opossum.
- Animal Diversity Web, University of Michigan Museum of Zoology. Didelphis virginiana (Virginia opossum).
- Ticks and Tick-borne Diseases (PubMed) (2021). Are Virginia opossums really ecological traps for ticks? Groundtruthing laboratory observations (Hennessy & Hild), DOI 10.1016/j.ttbdis.2021.101780.
- Australian Museum. Common brushtail possum.
- PeerJ (PubMed Central copy) (2019). Dietary analysis of an uncharacteristic population of the Mountain Pygmy-possum (Burramys parvus) (Hawke et al.), DOI 10.7717/peerj.6307.
- WildlifeHelp.org (Wildlife Management Institute with New York State Division of Fish, Wildlife and Marine Resources). How to feed my pets when wild animals are attracted (opossum).
Sources checked 15 September 2026.
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