04.14.2008 - Everyone has heard about "playing possum". The possum in its early life needs to learn to adapt to survive. When confronted by predators, opossums usually try to bluff their way out of danger by baring their teeth, hissing, and growling. Facts on Opossums Playing Dead Personality. Two things were very clear. Opossums are generally peaceful animals. Due to their slow movements, poor hearing, and nearsightedness, possums would be easy prey. When these animals feel threatened, perhaps by a nearby predator, they might feign death in an attempt to fool them. soooo my question is, is this opossum playing dead or is it actually dead? In the face of … the opossum is lying on its side with it's eyes open and it's still breathing, but i dont know if it's dying or not. 1. If there is an opossum in the yard, don't worry. Playing dead is an involuntary response on the part of the opossum. They would roll over, stay still, breathe slowly and even drool. I have a dog and now I just got a cat. In fact, rather than feeling playful or having fun, the animal is literally paralyzed with fear. Their habit of eating disease-carrying ticks and dead stuff … Left and right arrows move across top level links and expand / close menus in sub levels. An opossum’s odd traits do not end with it playing dead. Opossums can maintain this state of thanatosis for several hours until they are certain the danger has passed. The term “playing possum” means playing dead or pretending not to know something, and possums are truly expert at playing dead. Laying down like a corpse is not enough. An opossum playing dead may drool, let its tongue loll from its open mouths, and excrete waste to support the illusion of sudden death. The best way to get rid of opossums is to contact the wildlife removal experts at Critter Control. Thanks to their whole acting-and-smelling-like-a-corpse … But you walk away only to find it … If the one you saw had almost completely white/light gray fur and buggy cross eyes, it is most likely an old opossum. And if you poke it, the possum will not respond. @OddDeer According to Wikipedia: When an opossum is "playing possum", the animal's lips are drawn back, the teeth are bared, saliva foams around the mouth, the eyes close or half-close, and a foul-smelling fluid is secreted from the anal glands.. It could possibly be dying as well- they only live 1-3 years (average is 1.5 years), in the wild or captivity. Since possums are great at “playing possum”, it symbolizes a cunning, crafty master trickster. The fact that possums aren’t naturally aggressive explains their “playing dead” behavior. 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A dog can maul a possum so badly that you'll swear the critter is deader than a door nail. If it only pretended to be dead, there are still a few predators that would have the courage to feed on it. The possum hopes that its hunter is not interested in a dead possum, only a … A dead possum will just lie there, and death is obvious. Leave the possums for about four hours. An opossum playing dead may drool, let its tongue loll from its open mouths, and excrete waste to support the illusion of sudden death. Apparently if you pull them along the ground and they are only playing dead, they will still grasp at sticks, grass, etc. It cannot see at birth that why it develops and hone its instinct for su… The only safe thing you can do is wait. How do you tell if an opossum is playing dead or actually IS dead!!???!!!!!? Commonly after an hour, the ears of the Opossum start to move slightly. thanks a lot! Get your answers by asking now. I went to call for help & came back with some water, but it's chest wasn't moving anymore & bugs were starting to crawl on it, so I'm sure it was dead. When induced … Don’t be fooled if they ‘play possum’ and stand completely still; opossums can be very dangerous. Opossums do. http://home.att.net/~larvalbugrex/opossum.html. Opossums – also known as possums – are becoming increasingly common in and around residences in Orlando. It also gets a symbolismfor being a problem-solver. You can sign in to vote the answer. If it is breathing it is alive. Both possum and opossum correctly refer to the Virginia opossum frequently seen in North America. I’ve just been informed by Sam in the comments below that American opossums play dead when threatened. Re: Possums don't always play dead By salt&paprika on Tue, 07/26/2016 - 9:23am . By all indications, it appears to be dead. The Orig in of “Playing Possum” It’s believed the phrase playing possum comes from the American opossum, also referred to simply as possum. if it's injured and dying then i would like to help it recover if i can in any way, but if it's just playing dead then i'll just leave it alone...! A possum plays dead to trick other animals or the person hunting it. Are new coronavirus strains cause for concern? If it's attacked by a predator, sometimes it completely passes out, and appears dead. Possums playing dead If by any chance you see them lying around immobile, don’t assume that they’re dead. Sam wondered if Australian possums do the same? my dog is a terrier, so he goes for anything that moves. If you see a possum that is not moving, it’s important to know the animal isn’t actually playing. © Copyright Critter Control. upon a possum. This morning in the dark, my dog delivered to me a full grow possum that was playing dead. Do Opossums Help To Get Rid Of Ticks? It is also challenging to tell a dead opossum from the one that is playing dead, even if you poke and prod it: in that case, leave it be, and it will escape in a few hours. Before I knew it, Lick leaped in, grabbed it by the neck and gave it a vicious jerk. Opossums and Ticks: Do Opossums Eat Ticks. I feel badly, but I did try to help it. However, if this fails, opossums close their eyes, fall onto their side, and play dead. Or The One That Appears Dead? 1 decade ago. They prefer to avoid a fight if at all possible. Homeowners who come across seemingly dead opossums should never attempt to handle the pests. I live in a flat area of Van Nuys-not in the hills or anywhere rural; is it usual to see them, in this area? Join Yahoo Answers and get 100 points today. I personally would just leave it and come back in half an hour or so and see if it's gone. When threatened, the possum will first … Its body goes limp, its breathing appears to stop, it discharges its bowels, its tongue sticks out, and it drools. Up and Down arrows will open main level menus and toggle through sub tier links. So i went outside to check what was up and i found him in the compost with an opossum lying in a dead position next to him. THEY’RE CONSTANTLY SELF-GROOMING. It is the instinct of many predatory animals to shake and kill a critter that is moving or fighting back, but they often leave dead animals alone. And if that doesn’t work they play dead when really scared! Will Tump's legacy live on after he leaves the WH? Description. While typically harmless, opossums are known to carry a variety of infectious diseases and may bite or scratch if they feel threatened. so it's the night-time and i let my dog out to go to the bathroom, and he wouldn't come back. Possum sitting in a tree. 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