Possum playing dead how long

How to Take Care of an Opossum Problem Homeowners who come across seemingly dead opossums should never attempt to handle the pests. Do Opossums Hibernate in the Winter?

Critter Control Logo. Navigate to homepage. Franchise Opportunities Careers. Why do Opossums play dead? Opossums play dead for a number of reasons, just the way they use their tails to trick their predators and support their bodies while climbing on trees.

The oddest thing you can find these animals do is to play dead, especially when they are faced with some unwanted situations. Opossums are considered peaceful animals, and most times they move little by little on the ground and try as much as possible to keep away from confronting other animals or humans. Opossums are susceptible to predators, plus such include, coyotes, dogs and foxes.

When an Opossum is finally cornered, it will start hissing, growling, and may bite when provoked beyond what it can bear. While "dead," the opossum's body is limp, it's front feet form into balls and drool runs out of its mouth.

It may even appear that rigor mortis has begun. The opossum's guise of death goes so far as to produce a smell of decay. From his anal glands, the opossum's body emits green mucus that will discourage most predators from feeding on him while he's in his comatose state.

This smell leads the predator to believe that the opossum's body is a rotting carcass. Unfortunately, being run over by vehicles is now the most common way in which opossums are killed -- the smell does nothing to help them in this situation. While the ability to play dead has probably saved many an opossum's life, it also comes with its own set of risks.

If an opossum goes into shock in the middle of the road, it's unlikely drivers will swerve to avoid hitting him because it appears he's already passed on. There are also many opossums who have been buried by people who didn't realize the little marsupial wasn't actually dead. Because of this, the Bi-State Wildlife Hotline has tips for dealing with an opossum that may or may not be dead. Do not handle the body in a way that will cause injury or harm to the opossum.