You might have spotted tiny little Tennessee pests in your yard and spotting them on the tree might have made you wonder if they are from family of squirrels! Nashville possums are from raccoons family and raccoons are known for their climbing skills. In respect of the question in the tile, we can say that there is a mixed answer to it! Possums know how to climb, and they can be very good at it if they practice but generally opossums are terrestrial animals! This means that they prefer ground over trees. They are den dwellers and they occupy the nests and spaces which are abandoned by other pests.



So Nashville possums are strong but not agile climbers which means that they are generally spotted climbing only for few below reasons:

In search of food- If they are climbing a tree that means they are targeting a rare prey!

To escape from predators: Animals like dogs and bears are predators of possums and to escape themselves they manage to get up so that they can escape!

To look for dens- one of the very unique characteristic of opossums lifestyle is about finding dens and nests where pests don’t stay anymore! They climb the tree to scan the area around!

To rest: this is a rare scenario and can actually be clubbed with the second one but possums do climb trees if they want some shade and rest. In case they stay in the hole of the bark of the tree then you might see them climbing.

Since possums belong to the family of raccoons they have natural skills to climb but stay unnurtured because of the lifestyle they adopt from their forefathers. If they practice, then they can climb well because of their blessed body structure as described below:

Strong tail: Opossums have got very strong tail which can carry its entire weight while climbing on the tree or anywhere. It can be said that in case they fall while climbing then it would cause injury to the tail. You can say that the tail helps possum in finding its centre of gravity while it is jumping or climbing around in the air.

Paws: Possums have got very strong hold because of their claws and paws. The front tracks are about 2 inches in diameter and hind tracks are slightly larger. These help them in having a strong grip to gain access to structures.

Balance: Possums don’t rush when it comes to climbing. They take baby steps as they don’t want to fall. This balancing technique (which is aided by their tail also) followed by them helps them in climbing high.

Possums learn climbing because it is a dangerous world on ground level if you are small and furry animal. The climbing skill help possums in climbing buildings, fences and even the garden walls. It could be harmful for your plants as these animals love to feed upon fruits and flowers. Also, they are among the most silent animals that can damage without making even the slightest noise.

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