Possums are everywhere! You may have often noticed them eating just about anything. One question that has come up in forums is: “Do possums eat dog poop as well?”. Sickening as it may sound to us, eating feces is not uncommon in wil animals. Read on to know more!
Table of Contents
Possums are omnivorous animals that eat insects, mammals, grains, snails, reptiles, and eggs and feces. But it is common to wonder that Do Possums eat Dog poop? As Possums are capable of eating garbage but do they eat poop.
Yes, Possums eat dog poop. In fact, there are other animals who also eat dog poop, read this article to know all about it!
In this guide, we will explore:
- What are possums?
- Do Possums eat Dog poop?
- Do dogs also eat Possum shit?
What are Possums?
Possums are marsupials known for carrying their young in pouch-like Kangaroos. Possums are ground-dwelling, but they also spend most of their time on trees.
The size of possums is about 2 to 3 feet long and weighs about 15 lbs, but almost all possums range between 7 to 9 lbs. This pouched mammal is native to the United States.,
Possums are opportunists; whatever they get, they eat. These mammals can eat anything, like fruits, seeds, and even animals like reptiles, birds, small mammals, and eggs. Possums also eat gardens and crops, but they are not harmful to crops. And to answer the main question, yes, opposums eat feces too.
Even many animals eat possums like foxes, bobcats, and owls.
Do Possums eat Dog poop?
Yes, they do eat feces.
Possums usually look into trash or garbage to look for food. And if they find doggie poop bags in your trash, they can and will open it and start eating the disgusting doo.
You may find it disgusting, but for possums, it is normal. Possums and many animals eat dogs poop. You will find many animals around that have similar habits of eating dog poop.
You must wonder why animals eat dogs’ poop because the poop contains undigested food items like vegetables and more things, which possums find beneficial for their health.
Are Possums harmful to dogs?
Normally no, but they do have sharp teeth so be careful and keep your dog away.
While possums are not dangerous for dogs, if they fight with dogs, this might lead to severe injuries because of their sharp teeth.
Usually, possums do not fight with dogs, but if the Dog is annoying, then Possum retaliates in the same manner and shows its teeth. In some scenarios, possums also pee on dogs when they are in a fight, leading to leptospirosis in dogs as possums pee is contaminated and harmful for dogs.
Do Dogs also eat Possum poop?
No, they find it stinky and disgusting.
Possum’s poop is stinky; in fact, they are the strongest weapon. Although they are smaller in size, they are bigger predators. When possums feel they are in danger, they lie down like dead on the ground and start playing; they start dropping smelly poop as well.
To come back to the question, Do dogs also eat Possum poop? No, they don’t find it attractive. Dogs are particular about their tastes, and they do not like the smell of Dog poop, so they do not prefer eating Possum poop.
Do Possums eat dogs?
They can eat dead dog carcasses.
When it comes to Possum’s diet, they need food items high in calcium. Due to this reason, possums eat readily available skeletons of dead Dogs and other dead, killed animals. Unfortunately, they eat dead dogs and their food items.
What animals eat possums?
Animals like owls, foxes, and dogs eat possums.
Although possums try to save themselves from getting eaten by playing dead, most animals eat dead animals, so they eat possums that even try to play dead.
Do raccoons eat Dog poop?
No, even though raccoons have similar eating habits they don’t eat things that stink.
Raccoons are opportunists, they can eat anything they find on the ground or anywhere, but they will only eat things with a great smell.
Raccoons do not consider dog poop as their food item; they don’t prefer to eat dog poop. Like any poop, dog poop contains various bacteria harmful to raccoons.
Raccoons have a great sense of smell; they smell and assess it before they eat anything. Although several animals can eat dog poop, raccoons are not one of them. Twenty-three million bacterias are present in dog poop.
If raccoons eat dog poop, they get ill due to various infections. However, Raccoons have a strong acidic stomach but not as strong as killing a high number of bacteria present in dog poop.
Do skunks eat Dog poop?
Yes, skunks eat dog poop.
They live under decks, and you often see them in your yards. When it comes to what they eat, they prefer eating insects, meat, plants, vegetation, and more. Their preferred food sources are grasshoppers, eggs, and grubs. They often eat things that have a strong odor. But when it comes to eating dog poop, they sometimes eat.
Do Squirrels eat Dog poop?
If Squirrels get an opportunity, they don’t mind eating Dog poop.
Squirrels find dog poop as a direct source of nutrients for them. But when a dog is around, Squirrels don’t even go near their poop. They wait for a dog to move from the area and then eat dog poop.
A Few Final Words
To conclude, the answer to Can Possums eat dog poop? Is yes. In fact, one reason why they have high nitrogen concentration in their body is that they eat the feces of other animals.
Thank you for reading this rather disgruntling information so far! We hope we have answered your questions. If you have more of them, please drop your comments down below and we will be happy to answer them.
We have written about other animals that eat things related to dogs such as deer, you might be interested in reading that.