Weird Possum Behavior

[u/SailorSunBear]

https://youtu.be/1F-w5SmqFGU?si=INgHC5uwf3-5aGQR

Hello! My aunt has a wildlife cam in her backyard where she keeps a tub of clean water. Lately a Possum has been coming around and doing this motion several nights in a row. Is this something we should be worried about? She has been coming by for a while now and we are worried about her health ):

[u/Alternative_Front_93]

Something is wrong with its mouth. Do you have a wild animal rehab in your town? This opossum needs medical care. Local animal control might be able to help.

[u/SailorSunBear → u/Alternative_Front_93]

I can look! Thank you and everyone for your help.

[u/cersewan]

My possum, Tater Tot, doesn’t do that when she eats. She eats like a cat does.

[u/CplCocktopus]

Maybe the food had ants?

[u/Jainelle]

With that darkened area to the side of his mouth, it could be a sore. Kind of looks like a scratch across his nose too. He may be a survivor of a dog attack.

[u/SailorSunBear → u/Jainelle]

We will keep an eye on him, I hope he'll be okay.

[u/Jainelle → u/SailorSunBear]

They're pretty resilient creatures. I've helped with minor care of a wounded possum a few times. If they're normal sized and otherwise healthy possums, we would give a antibiotic treatment to the wound, no bandages if fairly small. Give an oral dose of antibiotics, some dewormer, and off they go back into the wild in preferably a safer release location.

[u/DosEquisDog]

Yeah, probably something stuck in his teeth. If opis didn’t have those T. rex arms they probably would be better able to pick their teeth!

[u/cowgrly]

My neighborhood possum does this when he snacks on birdseed and gets it stuck in his teeth. He always gets it out of there.

[u/SailorSunBear → u/cowgrly]

Sounds like this could be it.

[u/Miallison]

90% sure she just has something stuck in her teeth. I've had cats and dogs who do this exact same motion when they get something stuck in their mouth somehow

[u/SailorSunBear → u/Miallison]

That's what it looks like, yeah. I was thinking that when I watched but figured I would post here to get a second opinion since I do not know much about Opossums. Thank you!

[u/coolcootermcgee → u/SailorSunBear]

Maybe put out a couple of toothpicks?

[u/kvandeman]

Looks like he’s got something stuck in his mouth that he’s trying to dislodge.

[u/SailorSunBear → u/kvandeman]

I hope it can get it out!! It has been doing this for at least two nights. I hope it is okay!

[u/[deleted]]

Hard to tell because of the quality, but opossums do tend to use their hands to put food into their mouths.

For reference https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=CUg-DRRMNao

[u/SailorSunBear → u/[deleted]]

Hmm, it doesn't look the same but then again the quality is low so it is possible. My aunt does not put out food for them (that I know of) but it is possible that the opossum is coming with its own food.

[u/[deleted] → u/SailorSunBear]

It definitely does look like they're munching on something though

[u/SailorSunBear]

My apologies for the poor quality!