What Do Possums Eat?

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Possums are omnivores, so they eat a wide range of plants and animals. Possums often consume grass, nuts, fruit and grains. They also prey on rodents, birds, frogs, insects, worms, snails, slugs and snakes.

In addition, possums are scavengers, so they search for table scraps in garbage cans and dumpsters. Possums also eat the meat and bone from road kill or carcasses left behind by other hunters.

Because they eat insects, slugs and snails, possums are helpful to gardens. Possums also help maintain the population of rats and cockroaches, because they all compete for the same food. In fact, possums sometimes kill their competition in order to eat well.