Most possums will succumb to starvation within 1-2 weeks if they do not find sustenance in the wild. But it might surprise you how long a possum can live without food outside of the womb. There is an old saying that anything you want to know about animals can be found in their feces. This makes sense — after all, an animal that is sick will look for food elsewhere since its poop will smell off. The nutrients and food in a possum’s poop can tell us a lot about how long a possum can go without eating.
How Long Can a Possum Live Without Food?
Possums can live for long periods of time without food. They have a very good digestive system and can go for months without eating. However, if there isn’t enough water available, they will need to drink water from time to time.
If you find yourself wondering how long a possum can go without food, there are several factors that play into it. The first is the species of possum you’re dealing with. There are over 60 species of possums in Australia alone, each with different characteristics and lifestyles. The second factor is whether the animal has been domesticated or wild-born. A wild-born possum will be better adjusted to living off its own resources than a domesticated one that was raised by humans.
However, even domesticated animals may be able to survive without food for quite some time depending on their diet before they were captured or abandoned. Possums are omnivores and they eat both meat and plants so they have options when it comes to finding food sources even when they’re not being fed by humans or other animals that might be caring for them.
Possums Are Omnivores.
- Possums are omnivores. That means they eat both meat and plants. They will eat just about anything they can find, including insects, small mammals, fruits and flowers.
- Possums are considered pests because they can damage your home by digging through trash cans or climbing on walls to get into attics or other areas of your house. They may also be a threat to other small animals in your area like chickens and rabbits.
- If you’re worried about possums getting into your home, there are several things you can do to keep them out.
- Make sure that all food scraps go into the garbage instead of being left out for them to eat.
- Close off any holes where possums might enter your house and yard with steel wool or cement blocks.
What to Do If You Find ABaby Possum
Possum babies are usually born in late spring and early summer, but they can also be born any time of the year. If you find a baby possum, it is not yet old enough to be on its own. A mother possum will only leave her baby for a few minutes at a time, so if you do not see her nearby, she may be coming back soon.
- If you find a baby possum, there are some things you can do to help it stay healthy and grow up strong:
- If the mother is around, leave both of them alone. She knows what she is doing and will take care of her young on her own.
If the mother has been killed by a car or something else that would have killed her babies as well, move them into an outdoor enclosure with lots of branches and leaves in it. Make sure the enclosure has no predators such as cats or dogs that could hurt them and keep people out of their pen so they don’t get trampled by accident. Put some food in the enclosure so they have something to eat until they are old enough to go out looking for food themselves (which won’t be long).
There Are Actually Two Different Types of Possums.
There are actually two different types of possums. The first is the common brushtail possum and the second is a ringtail possum. The brushtail possum can live up to 15 years in captivity, while ringtails do not live as long.
The average life span of a brushtail possum in the wild is about two years, according to the San Diego Zoo. However, it is possible for them to live as long as five years if they are lucky enough to avoid predators, disease and other threats.
Ringtails tend to be smaller than brushtails and have a longer tail with a white tip at the end (the brushtail’s tail has no white tip). Ringtails also have fewer teeth than their larger counterparts. They usually have just two molars on either side of their jaw and they lack an upper canine tooth altogether (which is what gives them their name).
Always Remember to Keep Safe Distance From Possum.
Possums are not very aggressive and usually avoid contact with humans. However, they can be quite dangerous if cornered or threatened. Possums are also known to carry several diseases that can be transmitted to humans. The best way to prevent any kind of injury from a possum is to keep a safe distance from it.
The possum is a marsupial that lives in the wild. It is a nocturnal animal that spends most of its time sleeping during the day and looking for food at night. The lifespan of a possum depends on the species, but it can live up to 10 years in captivity.
Possums can survive for days without food because they have an extremely slow metabolism rate and store fat in their tails. They also have very low water requirements when compared to other animals like dogs or cats which requires them to drink water frequently throughout the day.
If you find yourself trapped with an injured or sick possum, take it to a wildlife rehabilitator as soon as possible so they can get medical attention and treatment before it dies from dehydration or starvation.
Conclusion
If you have to know how long a possum can live without food that depends on the possum. After about a week of not eating a possum will start to go on into a semi hibernation mode. They do go into this mode when their forest habitat becomes disturbed before winter begins and most food is gone. The longer they go the more dormant and slow the possum will become. They can get so slow and sedentary they are just sitting there waiting for death or something to come along and kill it or catch it so they can eat.
