Opossums: The Unsung Heroes Against Lyme Disease

By George

You’ve seen them on the side of the road, you’ve probably seen them in your yard. These strange looking animals are the only native marsupial to North America. That’s not the only thing that makes them special. These not-so-cuddly nocturnal friends are also leading the fight against lyme disease.

Several states in the U.S. are reporting record populations of ticks and increasing tick-borne disease transmission, like Lyme disease, but clearing your yard of these blood suckers might be only one opossum away. Yes, that giant rat-looking animal that plays dead when threatened and hisses like the devil’s spawn when scared is actually extremely beneficial to humans and other mammals. Opossums’ diets include snakes, snails, slugs, mice, rats, and carrion. Perhaps the most intriguing item on an opossum’s daily menu is an even more dreaded human foe: the tick. Opossums’ voracious appetite for ticks can nearly obliterate a tick population.

Scientist Rick Ostfeld points out that few ticks survive a run in with an opossum. These animals, often called filthy, are actually remarkable groomers and spend almost all of their free time grooming themselves. Ticks are attracted to these mammals, but most of them never survive on an opossum’s body long enough to …Read the Rest

Source:: Patriot Outdoor News