How do possums defend themselves?

Answer 1

An animal that "plays possum" goes into a state of physiological suspension whereupon it appears to be quite dead. This is a defence mechanism to avoid being attacked by a predator.

(The term should actually be "playing opossum" as this behaviour is shown by North American opossums, not true possums of the Oceania region.)

Opossums also have very sharp teeth which can inflict severe bites on domestic animals. Sometimes, they will release a strong, musky scent which is repellant to other animals. Generally, however, they prefer to play dead or run away.

Answer 2

A possum's only defence is its sharp claws and teeth, and a loud and angry hiss when cornered. Apart from that, it tries to escape predators by climbing. It is a very agile creature, able to jump and climb, including hanging upside down by its feet as it runs along cables and wires.

A possum also uses camouflage, staying still so that predators cannot easily spot it.

Answer 3

*Possums (a generally Australian marsupial) should not be confused with opossums, (Western Hemisphere marsupials) which are very different creatures and so have different defence mechanisms (it is the opossum that "plays dead" to deter predators).

A possum's only defence is its sharp claws and teeth, and a loud and angry hiss when cornered. Apart from that, it tries to escape predators by climbing. It is a very agile creature, able to jump and climb, including hanging upside down by its feet as it runs along cables and wires. A possum also uses camouflage, staying still so that predators cannot easily spot it.