Possums aren’t known to be very picky eaters. These animals can survive on a variety of different foods from different environments. What they eat is mostly dependent on their environment.

Knowing this, the question on your mind may be ‘can possums eat meat?’ this article looks into it 

Possums can and do eat meat, these animals will eat whatever meat they can catch and find, this includes small animals like snails and larger animals like rats. 

Can possums eat meat?

Possums are omnivores, which means that they eat both plant and animal matter, so yes, possums do eat meat.

Their primary sources of meat include birds, slugs, insects, small rodents, frogs, and snails. They eat kittens as well, read more about it here

They will even eat poisonous snakes like rattlesnakes. Possums are immune to snake venom, there is a protein present in possum blood that keeps this marsupial safe. 

Although possums can and will eat meat, they prefer to find and eat foods that are easier to catch, foods that are easier to catch include smaller weaker prey as well as plant matter. This keeps them from having to use up too much energy when looking for food.

However, they will hunt and eat larger meats like rats, if they have to

 

Benefits of possums eating meat: 

Protein: Possums get a lot of nutrients from eating meat, one major nutrient that possums get from eating meat is protein. This essential nutrient is needed by all animals and is needed for cell regeneration and the development of bodily tissue in the possum 

Pest control: This is more of an advantage to humans than it is to possums. These animals will feast on pests in the wild and in urban locations as well. Pests that possums eat include spiders, cockroaches, mice, ticks, and rats.

Keeping possums for pest control helps keep pests at a manageable level

More satiating: Fruits and vegetables may be an easier meal for possums to look for and find but meat is more satiating than fruits and vegetables are. Meat is more satiating because it contains protein and fats, thus, eating meat will keep possums feeling fuller for longer

Risks of possums eating meat:   

Population decline: Possums and other wild animals have no concept of conservation, they simply eat what they need to eat and go about their days. Unfortunately, this has caused possums to cause population decline in some animals species and even some rare species 

Injury: Many animals that possums eat have little to no defenses against possum attacks. This makes them easy prey to hunt. Other animals have sharp teeth and claws, these animals include rats, and other small rodents.

These rodents will fight for their lives to get away from the possum. This can result in injuries to a possums face and body and sometimes an infection can develop because of the injury 

Do possums eat live animals? 

Possums do not eat live animals. When a possum hunts it will kill the prey animal using its razor-sharp teeth and claws. These animals will quickly kill the prey then eat the dead animal. 

If they get the chance, possums will eat animals that are already dead as well, this includes roadkill animals. Roadkill is an easy and convenient source of food for these animals. It is not unlikely to see a family of possums feasting on a fresh piece of roadkill.

They will also eat the skeleton remains of roadkill animals or the skeleton remains of the animals that they kill. They do this because their bodies need high amounts of calcium to function well. 

Can possums eat lunch meat? 

Lunch meats may be delicious to animals but they usually contain very high levels of salts and nitrates.

This food, in excess, is not recommended for humans and is not recommended for possums either. The high salt and nitrate content of lunch meat can lead to health issues in possums 

Lunch meat also contains preservatives that are meant to keep the meat fresh enough for humans to eat over a few days. These preservatives have likely not been tested on possums, so, giving possums lunch meat frequently is not recommended

The occasional piece of lunch meat here and there will likely not cause any issues 

Do possums eat rotten meat? 

Rotten meat is meat that is starting to decay, possums have no problem eating foods that are decaying. Not only do these animals eat roadkill, which is decaying meat, but they also eat meats from your trash which is also decaying meat.

These animals are scavengers, scavengers have stomachs that are able to process bacteria, bacteria are fairly common on rotten meat. Possum stomachs keep the animal from getting sick.

Can you eat possum meat? 

You can definitely eat possum meat, this meat can be prepared in a variety of different ways and is eaten on occasion in southern homes.

That being said, this meat is more on the exotic side, because of this, it is necessary to know how to prepare it and what to expect. 

What an animal eats dictates how its meat will taste, thus, depending on its environment, possums can taste very different. It will also smell different depending on what it eats.

This food can be served as meat and potatoes or it can be used in dishes as a garnish. 

A con of eating this meat is the possibility of the animal having tuberculosis. You’d need to skin the animal well before eating it to avoid catching this disease. Skinning the possum will help you figure out if the animal had the disease  

Conclusion 

In conclusion, yes possums can eat meat. Meat offers possums a plethora of vitamins and minerals, meat is beneficial to possums because it contains high amounts of protein 

Possums eating meat is beneficial to possums because it is satiating to the animal and is helpful in keeping pests at a minimum. The cons of possums eating meat are the possibility of injury and a population decline of the animal that it is eating

Lunchmeat is not very healthy for possums especially if given in large quantities

These animals kill their prey before eating it, they will eat roadkill as well.

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 Apples?, Do Possums Eat Bananas?, Can Possums Eat Cat Food?, Where Do Possums Nest?