Are possums known for climbing or living in trees?

One of the larger pests you’d have to deal with in an urban setting, possums can be troublesome animals. It’s not just their large size, however. It’s also their versatility and resilience in adapting to urban environments. Take their diets, for example, possums are omnivores, meaning they can feast on almost anything in their environment they can get their hands on, which means they’d rarely ever NOT find something to eat. Or consider their defences: possums not only have a potent arsenal of teeth and claws to defend themselves, but they also employ strategic maneuvers like playing dead to get out of trouble. That being said, is their climbing skill also that impressive? Do they climb trees or live in them?

Can possums climb trees?

For most animals, being able to climb trees is just something they check off on the evolutionary scale instead of a skill they desperately work to acquire, and it would seem possums are no exception to this rule. True, their body may be larger and less streamlined for climbing than other mammals more adept at climbing trees like cats and squirrels, but their strong claws and good grip make up for these handicaps, which makes them decent climbers overall. This is especially surprising because possums aren’t exactly enthusiastic about climbing trees, but having this skill is like an ace up their sleeve when they fall into the hot water. A possum looking to evade a predator chasing it on the ground wouldn’t think twice about scurrying up a nearby tree for safety, something which can effectively end up expanding its lifespan. On the other hand, if a hungry possum is so inclined, it could also climb a tree to hunt for small animals to eat. A useful skill indeed.

Do possums live in trees?

Well, generally speaking, no. Unlike other mammals like squirrels or raccoons, when it comes to choosing a living space, it would seem possums don’t prefer living in trees. Hanging in branches or snuggling inside holes in the tree trunk isn’t their style, since they spend most of their time, resting or otherwise, on the ground. This makes them primarily terrestrial creatures.

Where do they generally live?

Possums generally prefer to live in burrows in the ground, but this choice is both broad in nature and not always the case. Possums don’t care for making their burrows or about having a single burrow that they live in for an extended period. That’s why it’s not uncommon to find them inhabiting some burrows at the same time, most of them not even dug by the possum itself. A possum may not even choose to live in a burrow; in its eyes, a simple, dark cave would also suffice.

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