Fish eater??

[small fish]

Do possums ? eat fish?? In the last two weeks I have seen a possum two times in the back yard at night.  This not the first time I have seen a possum here and I am beganing to wonder what the draw is to my yard. I tried to get a pic the last two times but missed. I will try again.

Myra

[tinkster]

I have lots of possums.. they annoy me.. get on my porch to eat the dog food and the fish food if they can get it.. dont think they have ever tried to get my fish.. I sure hope they are not fish eaters.. interested to see if they are or not


tinkster

[small fish]

and they are ugly 

Myra

[karen J]

My possum ("Patty"  ) eats anything. Cookies, veggies, salmon, frogs, grass, veggies, fruit, slugs (YEA!) or dead animals. Once I had a dead fish that I tossed out onto the lawn and she was there within 30 seconds to eat that sucker. They are not hunters and will not actively seek your fish, but they do like fish. They are more scavenger- eating the stuff that just turns up.
My Patty has been living under my deck for years.  I finally figured out that the growling under my deck was a conflict between the possum and the groundhog. I hope they got that all figured out, cuz they're still there. 

I don't think they're ugly, I think they're adorable! 

[small fish]

Well, Karen, I am glad you are having a good expericence with yours... I guess I am just so suprised to see one in my yard... it is just not what I planned to find in the yard.... 

Myra

[Vickie]

I have had a possum a ground hog and a turkey all in my yard and I live in the city limits.

[Esther]

They will not try to get your live fish from the pond.

[Philly Bill]

Possums will not eat pond fish. They are lazy scavengers.

[Kittyzee]

Yes, they are "unusual" looking but are pretty passive and it probably has been traveling through or staying around your yard and you have been unaware.  It knows your comings and goings (just like many other animals) and you have been unaware.  They clean up animals that have died (like buzzards) and it may be drawn to your yard for a drink. 

[Sunbeam56]

Possums won't hunt fish, but they will eat a dead or floating (near-dead) fish.
They have fleas, and carry diseases. I can't say I'm a fan of them.

There is a BIG possum under the porch at the office. It eats the leftover cat food, and probably scrounges the neighbor's garbage. Its the size of a pig. Shape too.
 

Your possum is likely attracted to the water. So are bugs and other things that the possum would be interested in.

[miguynmkoi]

An opossum is visiting my compost pile    It's digging out the good layer at the bottom rich with worms    The only good thing about this situation is that I know the compost is doing it's job and I have lots of great dirt to use already from the winter pile.   AND the opossum is pulling the dirt out from under for me 

[LeeAnne151]

Opossums should not be of concern to ponders, they will not go after live fish though they have been caught eating fish a heron or raccoon abandoned.

From Wikipedia

Though many humans mistakenly consider opossums to be rats, opossums in fact are not closely related to rodents at all, rarely transmit diseases to humans, and are surprisingly resistant to rabies, due mainly to their lower body temperatures when compared to most placental mammals.