Foods To Try

With Your Short-Tailed Opossum

By Molly Kalafut

This article gives suggestions for foods to try with your short tail opossum. These are just descriptions of food types. For information about their nutritional needs, quantities and frequency of feeding be sure to read this article first.

Types Of Food Suggested:

• Fruits
• Veggies
• Live
• Meat
• Other Protein Sources
• Dairy (small quantities only!)

Fruits

Short tail opossums often enjoy fruit, particularly the softest and sweetest fruits. Applesauce and banana are often the clear favorites and citrus fruits are usually eaten the least.

Baby food can provide a lot of options for your short-tailed opossum. They are easy to store and keep. Since many STO won't chew slices of food but will lick at soft fruit, baby food is a lot easier to prepare than using fresh fruit and a blender.

Types of Fruit

Apples • Applesauce • Apricots • Avocados • Bananas • Blackberries • Blueberries • Cantaloupes • Cherries • Cranberries • Dates • Figs • Grapes • Guavas • Honeydew melons • Kiwifruits • Mangos • Melons • Nectarines • Oranges • Papayas • Peaches • Pears • Persimmons • Pineapples • Plantains • Plums • Pomegranates • Prunes • Pumpkin • Raisins • Raspberries • Star fruits • Strawberries • Watermelons

Gerber Baby Food

Apple & Blueberry • Apple & Strawberry & Banana • Apples & Cherries • Applesauce • Apricots with Mixed Fruit • Banana & Orange Medley • Banana & Pineapple • Banana & Strawberry • Bananas • Bananas with Apples & Pears • Banana Mixed Berries • Fruit Medley Fruit Dessert • Guava Fruit Dessert • Hawaiian Delight Dessert Mixed Fruit • Mango Fruit Dessert • Papaya Fruit Dessert • Peaches • Pear & Pineapple • Pears • Plum • Plums with Apples • Prunes & Apples

Tender Fruit Harvest Baby Food

Apple & Pear & Raspberry • Apple & Strawberry • Apple & Mango & Kiwi • Banana & Apple & Strawberry • Banana & Blueberry • Pear & Wild Blueberry • Tropical Fruit Blend

Earth's Best Organic Baby Food Fruits

Apples • Apples & Apricots • Apples & Bananas • Apples & Blueberries • Apples & Plums • Bananas • Bananas & Peaches & Raspberries • Bananas & Strawberries • Chunky Orchard Fruit • Peach Apricot Muesli • Peach & Oatmeal & Bananas • Pears • Pears & Mangos • Pears & Raspberries • Plums & Bananas & Rice • Prunes & Oatmeal

Beechnut Baby Food Fruits

Apples & Bananas • Apples & Blueberries • Apples & Cherries • Apples & Pears • Apples & Mango & Kiwi • Apples & Pears & Bananas • Applesauce • Apricots & Pears & Apples • Apricots & Pears & Apples • Banana & Apple & Pineapple • Bananas & Pears • Bananas • Bananas & Berries • Bananas & Strawberries • Bananas with Pears & Apples • Cinnamon Raisin Pears & Apples • Fruit Variety • Mixed Fruit Variety • Peaches • Peaches & Bananas • Pears & Pineapple • Pears & Raspberries • Plums & Apples & Pears • Prunes & Pears • Carrot & Apple & Mango

Veggies

Short tail opossums sometimes eat veggies, but since they generally prefer sweeter and softer foods it's not always the favorite. Since they often don't like chewing on vegetables, many prefer veggie baby food. I usually steer away from the baby foods with starch, rice or potatoes in them.

Types of Veggies

Beets • Bell Peppers • Broccoli • Carrot • Cauliflower • Corn • Cucumber • Egg Plant • Green Beans • Peas • Squash • Spinach • Sweet Potato • Tomatoes • Yams • Zucchini

Gerber Baby Food Vegetables

(No added starch, salt or preservatives)

Carrots • Carrots & Sweet Peas • Garden Vegetables • Green Beans • Mixed Vegetables • Peas • Squash • Sweet Potatoes • Sweet Potatoes & Corn • Assorted Vegetables

Tender Harvest Baby Food Vegetables

Apple Sweet Potato • Broccoli Cauliflower • Butternut Squash & Corn • Garden Carrots & Brown Rice • Green Beans & Potatoes • Pears & Winter Squash • Spring Garden Vegetables

Earth's Best Organic Baby Food Vegetables

Carrots • Corn • Corn & Butternut Squash • Garden Vegetable • Peas • Summer Vegetable • Sweet Potatoes • Winter Squash

Insects

Crickets • Mealworms • Waxworms • Silkworms • Grasshoppers • Cockroaches • Spiders • Worms • Moths

Insects provide valuable protein and calcium for your pet. Short tail opossums particularly appreciate live meals of insects and can entertain a household for hours by chasing crickets. Insects are also often available dead, dried or canned in liquid. Some short tail opossums will eat dry or canned insects, but many refuse. But almost all STO will literally jump at the chance to eat live insects. Mealworms and waxworms are particular favorites and are often used as bribes for encouraging STO to come out of their nest or out of their cage.

Make sure the insects you feed your STO come from a reputable source and are free from pesticides or other nasty problems!

Meat

Meats are a good source of protein, calcium, zinc and other nutrition. Try to stick closer to the leaner, less fatty poultry (like chicken or turkey) and not too often with the fattier or saltier meats like beef or ham. Some of the baby food flavors that have meat and fruit are preferred by short tail opossums.

Types of Meat

Beef • Chicken • Ham • Turkey

Gerber Baby Food Meats

Apples & Chicken • Apples & Ham • Beef • Broccoli & Chicken • Carrots & Beef • Chicken • Ham • Lamb • Pears & Chicken • Sweet Potatoes & Turkey • Turkey • Veal

Tender Harvest Baby Food Meats

Carrots Beef & Barley • Chicken & Wild Rice • Squash Corn Chicken • Vegetables, Turkey & Barley

Earth's Best Organic Baby Food Meats

Sweet Potato & Chicken • Vegetable Beef Dinner • Vegetable Turkey Dinner

Other Protein Sources

Eggs • Avocado • Tofu • Fruit-Flavored Tofu

Egg is a popular source of protein for short tail opossums because they usually love it and it's a common food stocked in many households. Short tail opossums are said to eat eggs in the wild, and relish them in captivity. Many different forms of egg can be used. Most STO eat the yolk and some will eat the egg white as well. The eggs can be provided in just about any way, such as hard-boiled or scrambled. Some people who raise and breed birds also give their STO small bird eggs, which they relish. (An entire chicken egg is probably too big to give whole, though!) Take care that the egg isn't cooked heavily with butter or oil.

Tofu is another good source of protein and many short tail opossums enjoy licking it when it is soft and squishy. My STO particularly enjoy the peach-mango flavored tofu found at local specialty grocery stores.

Avocado is another favorite for many STO. It should be fed in moderation due to the high fat content, but it can make a nice high-protein treat. Some people worry about feeding avocado to their pets, but to the best of my knowledge there have been no direct adverse results from short-tailed opossums eating avocado regularly. My understanding is the primary problems for animals is from eating avocado leaves and seeds from the plants, not the fruit itself. The Animal Poison Control Center warns against avocado for "rabbits, goats, cattle and horses" that may graze on the avocado plants in warm states like California and Florida. Since short-tailed opossum pets are kept inside I doubt contact with the whole avocado plant is likely to occur. (Of course, since I am not a vet please consult your vet if you are worried about any particular food.)

Dairy

Fruit-Flavored Yogurt • Plain Yogurt • Cottage Cheese

After weaning, short-tailed opossums never again eat anything even remotely dairy-like in the wild. In captivity they need to be monitored very closely if you decide to feed it to them. It is not something they digest easily or process well and some develop diarrhea from it which can be fatal. But on the other hand, some owners swear by a teaspoon of fruit-flavored yogurt occasionally or weekly and don't report any problems. To be safe, if you decide to feed your STO dairy - check their stools to make sure they don't develop diarrhea.

Dry Foods

Dry food is one of the most debated areas of food. These are some of the types of dry food many STO owners use with their STO

• Eukanuba lamb&rice or chicken&rice cat food (my top choice)
• Innova cat food
• Marshall's Ferret Food
• Happy Glider "breeder chicken" flavor

I am not a vet so if you are concerned about your STO's health see a vet!

Copyright © 2005, 2006, 2007 Know Your STO by Molly Kalafut - a book about the South American gray short-tailed opossum (Monodelphis domestica)
Send mail to info@knowyoursto.com with questions or comments about STO.
Last modified: 05-Mar-2007