Is an Opossum that is Active during the Day Rabid?

The only nocturnal marsupial from North America has significant characteristics to screen. There are many subjects associated with this title which expose interesting facts about the mammal. Its physiology, habitat and food—all sections are quite unique to study. There are many myths associated with opossum activities. The most common is a day time visible possum which is considered rabid. Daytime activity does not verify that the marsupial is rabid. Nocturnal animals may all be active during the day, especially in the breeding season as they need to search food to feed their babies. Males are on a trip to navigate their mates, therefore they are sometimes seen in the day. Winter and spring seasons are the time when possums are generally detectible during the day. In extreme winters, food is scarce, so they are on a mission to search for nourishment. In the spring, they are breeding, so they are foraging a lot to gain lost nutrients and to have sufficient food to feed their young.



Read more about the Symptoms of a Sick Opossum.

The Seasonal Shift:
There are a number of reasons for opossum sightings during the day. In winter, especially where snow has fallen, the opossums are hungry because of the scarcity of food due to the extreme climatic condition. To protect itself from extreme cold the opossums stay in a den for a longer time but then eventually hunger pushes it out of the dwelling. The opossum obviously have to hunt for food during the day, as it is comparatively warmer.

Motherly Care
During the spring or summer months a female opossum burdened with young needs more food and spends more time searching for food and that is the reason she is visible in daylight.

The Refugee:
It may happen that an opossum’s daytime shelters for some reason becomes destroyed or disturbed, this could be due to any disorder or invasion of another animal, or simply the shrubs are vibrated due to some external stimuli. The scared mammal will then seek refuge in the daylight.

The Blind Marsupial:
A blind opossum or an ill one is out in the day as it is unmindful about the surroundings.

The Myth about Rabies:
It is a fact that any mammal can catch and release, but opossums have the rarest chances of getting infected with rabies because the body temperature of an opossum is too low for the virus to dominate in the mammal’s body.

Find out whether or not Opossums Hibernate.

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