A possum’s diet can affect the animal’s health in a very big way, just as with humans, what a possum eats can affect whether the animal will live a long healthy life or whether the animals will get sick early and die.

Apples are good for humans, but can possums eat apples? This article looks into it.  

Possums can eat apples, this fruit is a delicious and nutritious food to possums that will keep the animal fuller for longer, 

Can possums eat apples?

Possums can eat a variety of foods, they are omnivores who benefit from eating both plant and animal matter.

Not only can they eat plant matter like fruits, berries, nuts, and a variety of other fruits and vegetables, but they can also eat meats like slugs, snails, rodents, insects, and worms.

These animals eat and enjoy apples as well. 

Moderation is key: 

Apples are a delicious and sweet fruit that possums enjoy. Animals, possums included, are also said to enjoy the crunch that comes with eating apples.

That is all well and good but apples need to be given in moderation to possums. This fruit contains high amounts of sugar, too much sugar is not good for possums 

Benefits 

Nutrients: The saying that an apple a day keeps the doctor away is very true. Apples are very rich in vitamins and minerals which will boost a possum’s health. 

This fruit contains good amounts of fiber, vitamin C, potassium, manganese, copper, vitamin A, vitamin E, vitamin B1, vitamin B2, and vitamin K

The fiber content in this fruit is helpful as it keeps the possum fuller for longer with fewer calories. This keeps the animal from overeating in an effort to satiate itself. 

Dangers 

Pesticides: Pests love attacking apple crops, these pests can wind up damaging a whole field of crops if left to their own devices. Thus, farmers usually spray their apple crops with pesticides to keep these pests away. 

Washing apples before giving them to possums is recommended but this does not get rid of all of the pesticides. The waxy layer on the skin of apples traps the chemicals underneath, this waxy layer cannot be removed by washing with water alone. 

You’d need to either buy organic apples and give these to your pet possums or, you would need to peel the skin off of the apples before serving them to your pet possum

Can possums eat apple seeds/cores? 

When possums eat apples they generally avoid eating the apple cores and seeds. These animals will likely not even eat the full apple and they will definitely leave the core out.

Apple cores may contain high amounts of fiber but this core also contains seeds that contain trace amounts of cyanide. Cyanide is toxic to small animals like raccoons and rabbits and can be dangerous to possums as well.

However, a possum would likely have to eat the seeds of two apples for the seeds to be a danger to it

Do possums eat apple tree leaves? 

Possums will not turn their nose up to eating apple tree leaves if they have to.

These animals will eat almost anything if given the chance, even garbage, thus, if the only food available to them is apple tree leaves then a possum will eat them.

Can possums eat apple sauce? 

Apple sauce is eaten by humans as a dish that can be eaten on its own as a meal, used in smoothies, used as a salad dressing, can be eaten with meats and vegetables, or can be eaten as a side dish 

The type of apple sauce sold in stores is not good for possums, this food is both high in sugar and contains a variety of preservatives and chemicals that have not been tested on raccoons long term.

A little bit of this food will likely not harm the animals but avoid giving them this food as a habit 

You making plain applesauce at home is a better option and this sauce can be given to possums more often. This type will have all the benefits that apples have and it will be easier to digest 

Can baby possums eat apples? 

Baby possums cannot eat apples. Baby possums live and are attached to their mother’s teet in the pouch during the early stages of their life. This keeps the babies and the mothers from separating 

These babies are fed their mothers milk from the time of birth, they cannot eat solid foods during these first few weeks.

The babies will only be weaned off of their mother’s milk from about 80 days old, they are young possums at this point. These young possums are able to eat solid foods like apples 

Conclusion 

In conclusion, yes, possums can and do eat apples, this food is a highly nutritious and delicious food for possums, apples help possums stay fuller for longer.

Possums can also eat homemade apple sauce, store-bought apple sauce is not recommended for possums because it contains chemicals, preservatives, and high levels of sugars which are not good for possums.

They can technically eat apple cores but they don’t usually eat apple cores, plus, apple cores contain trace amounts of toxins.

Baby possums cannot eat apples because their digestive systems aren’t able to process solid foods yet, they can only eat solid foods later in their lives.

If you enjoyed this article then you may also be interested in other possum related articles. Here are some articles that you may be interested in: Are Possums Dangerous To Cats?, Can Possums Eat Meat?, Do Possums Eat Bananas?, Can Possums Eat Cat Food?, Where Do Possums Nest?