01/04/2026
Hairy the Oppossum stopped in last night to our local watering hole. Over 3 minutes of water drinking on this video!!!!! And... Hairy was drinking awhile before I nabbed my phone and started the video! I haven't seen him in a awhile, wherever he has been, he's been dehydrated on his travels. Dehydration is real for all critters, 2 or 4 legged. Please consider keeping a container of fresh water in your yard for local wildlife. 🐾 🌎 💕
I do not own the rights to the music. Credit to 98.1. I just wanted you to hear Hairy's slurps 🤭 And those little ears, watch the ears! And his fingers!! 🤭🤭
Opposum Facts from Google:
Opossums are North America's only marsupials, known for playing dead, eating almost anything (including ticks), having low body temperatures that resist rabies, and using their prehensile tails for balance (not hanging). These nocturnal, solitary animals are adaptable, live 1-2 years, give birth to tiny young called joeys that develop in a pouch, and possess 50 teeth, more than any other North American mammal, according to World Animal Protection US and Forest Preserve District of Will County.
Key Characteristics & Behaviors
Marsupials: Females carry and nurse their young (joeys) in a pouch, like kangaroos, though their babies are born tiny, say PestWorld for Kids and Champions for Wildlife.
Playing 'Possum': When threatened, they enter an involuntary shock-like state (thanatosis), appearing dead, a defense mechanism National Opossum Society notes.
Diet: They're omnivores, eating insects, ticks (which they're great at controlling), rodents, berries, garbage, and even venomous snakes, thanks to a natural immunity.
Unique Biology: They have a low body temperature, making them resistant to diseases like rabies, and possess 50 teeth, the most of any North American mammal.
Nocturnal & Solitary: They are most active at night and prefer to live alone, seeking shelter under decks, in sheds, or in abandoned burrows.
Physical Traits
Size: About the size of a house cat, with gray fur, a pointed snout, and dark eyes, say Pest Management Systems Inc. and UC IPM.
Tail: A long, hairless, prehensile tail used for balance when climbing, not for hanging upside down.
Lifespan & Habitat
Short Lifespan: Typically only 1 to 2 years in the wild due to predators and cars.
Adaptable: Can live in forests, suburbs, and urban areas as long as food and shelter are available, notes Cool Green Science.
Opossums are nomadic and can travel significant distances, often venturing up to 2 miles (about 3.2 km) in a single night while foraging for food, though they typically have a home range of 10 to 50 acres and might move dens daily, sometimes traversing about 1,685 meters between them. They are constantly moving and don't stay put for long, using various dens like tree cavities, brush piles, or under structures, especially seeking food and water sources.
Key Travel Behaviors:
Nocturnal Foraging: They primarily travel at night to find food.
Frequent Movement: Opossums are nomadic, often changing den sites every few days.
Distance: Up to 2 miles in one night for food; can move over a mile between dens.
Habitat: While preferring wooded, brushy areas near water, they readily adapt to urban settings, moving through yards, sheds, and under decks.
Why They Travel:
Food & Water: They must constantly search for nourishment year-round as they don't store fat or hibernate.
Nomadic Nature: Their constant movement helps them find resources and avoid issues in one spot.
If you need to relocate one (check local laws first!), experts suggest moving it at least 2 miles away to a suitable habitat with water.
Opposums and EPM (horse killer)
A significant percentage of opossums carry the Sarcocystis neurona parasite that causes Equine Protozoal Myeloencephalitis (EPM), with studies suggesting rates around 10-33% in states like Michigan and Missouri, though not all infected opossums will transmit it, and it's a rare disease in horses, often spread through contaminated feed or water from opossum f***s.
Key Points:
Infection Rates Vary: While some sources point to 10-33% infection rates in opossums in certain areas, other studies show high exposure in horses (over 75% with antibodies) in high-risk regions like the Bluegrass area, indicating widespread parasite presence, notes this article from The Horse.
Opossums as Hosts: Opossums are definitive hosts, but they get the parasite from eating infected "intermediate" hosts like skunks, raccoons, or even domestic cats that have ingested the parasite's spores, explains this Facebook post from Black Creek Wildlife Center and this article from For Fox Sake Wildlife Rescue.
Transmission to Horses: Horses get EPM from accidentally eating hay, feed, or water contaminated with opossum f***s containing the parasite's sporocysts, says this article from the Minnesota Extension.
Not All Opossums Are Infected: Not every opossum carries the parasite, and not every infected opossum will pass it on, notes this article from the Paulick Report.
In essence, many opossums carry the EPM parasite, making contamination a real risk for horses, though EPM itself remains a relatively uncommon disease.
