Possum droppings are small, cylindrical pellets, typically dark brown or black, with slightly tapered ends. They’re about 14 millimeters long for a brushtail possum (roughly half an inch), which makes them roughly double the size of rat droppings. If you’ve found mystery scat around your property, size, shape, and location are the fastest ways to confirm whether a possum is responsible.
What Possum Droppings Look Like
Possum scat is small and pellet-shaped, with a smooth, cylindrical body that tapers slightly at both ends. Fresh droppings are dark brown to black and have a moist sheen. As they dry out over a day or two, they become lighter in color and more crumbly. The exact size depends on the species. Brushtail possum droppings clock in at around 14 millimeters, while ringtail possum droppings fall somewhere between that and the 7-millimeter size of rat scat.
For North American readers dealing with the Virginia opossum, the droppings are larger than those of Australian species, often reaching 1 to 3 inches in length. They tend to look smoother and more variable in shape than raccoon scat, and you may notice seeds, insect parts, or fruit remnants mixed in, reflecting the opossum’s omnivorous diet. The color ranges from dark brown to nearly black, though it can shift depending on what the animal has been eating.
Possum Scat vs. Rat, Raccoon, and Cat Droppings
The animal most commonly confused with possums is the rat. Rat droppings are about 7 millimeters long, roughly half the length of possum scat, and they tend to be scattered around a sheltered feeding or nesting site in urbanized areas. Possum droppings, by contrast, are more likely to appear along fence lines, on decks, near roof entry points, or under trees where the animal travels.
Raccoon droppings are noticeably larger and thicker than possum scat, often deposited in communal “latrines” where droppings pile up in the same spot over time. Raccoon scat also frequently contains visible berry seeds and has a more tubular, segmented look. Cat droppings are similar in size to opossum scat but are usually buried in loose soil or litter, which possums don’t do. If the droppings are sitting openly on a hard surface like a deck, porch, or roofline, a cat is less likely to be the culprit.
Health Risks From Possum Droppings
The most well-documented risk from Virginia opossum feces involves a parasite called Sarcocystis neurona, which causes a serious neurological disease in horses. Opossums are the definitive host for this parasite in the United States. After eating infected prey (including skunks, raccoons, and armadillos), opossums shed infectious spores in their feces within two to four weeks. Horses become infected by accidentally ingesting those spores through contaminated feed or water, which can lead to progressive coordination problems, muscle wasting, and difficulty swallowing.
If you keep horses, preventing opossum access to feeding areas is the single most important step you can take. Store feed in sealed galvanized metal containers, remove fallen fruit from the ground, take down bird feeders that attract opossums, and secure garbage cans. These same precautions protect dogs and cats, since domestic cats have been identified as one of several intermediate hosts for the parasite.
For humans, the direct risk from possum droppings is lower than from raccoon or rodent scat, but any wild animal feces can carry bacteria like Salmonella and Leptospira. The main danger during cleanup is inhaling dried, airborne particles, which is why sweeping or vacuuming droppings without precautions is a bad idea.
How to Clean Up Possum Droppings Safely
Never sweep or vacuum possum droppings dry. Disturbing dried feces without moisture can launch harmful particles into the air, increasing your risk of inhaling bacteria or parasites. Instead, follow this process:
- Wear protective gear. Put on rubber or latex gloves and a face mask before touching anything.
- Soak the area. Spray the droppings and surrounding surface with a disinfectant solution. A mixture of one part bleach to ten parts water works well. Let it sit for at least five minutes to neutralize pathogens.
- Wipe up with paper towels. Pick up the soaked droppings and residue with disposable paper towels. Don’t use rags or cloths you plan to reuse.
- Seal and dispose. Place all contaminated towels and gloves into a plastic bag, seal it, and put it directly in your outdoor trash.
- Disinfect surrounding surfaces. Spray and wipe down any nearby areas that may have been exposed to splatter or residue.
- Wash your hands thoroughly. Use soap and warm water even if you wore gloves the entire time.
For large accumulations, especially in attics or crawl spaces where droppings have built up over weeks, professional wildlife cleanup services have the equipment to handle contaminated insulation and hard-to-reach areas safely.
Keeping Possums From Coming Back
Droppings are a sign that a possum has made your property part of its regular route, and the most effective long-term fix is removing whatever attracted it in the first place. The biggest draws are easy food sources: birdseed in accessible feeders, unsecured trash cans, pet food left outdoors overnight, fallen fruit under trees, and unprotected chicken coops. Eliminating even one or two of these can make your property far less appealing.
Physical exclusion is more reliable than repellents. Hardware cloth secured over openings under decks, porches, and sheds blocks possums from denning underneath structures. If you’ve confirmed a possum is getting into your attic, sealing entry points with sturdy materials (not foam or caulk, which they can tear through) is essential. Keeping problem areas well-lit at night can also discourage possums, since they prefer to move through dark spaces.
Scent-based repellents, wind chimes, and motion-activated lights are commonly sold as possum deterrents, but results are inconsistent. Many homeowners find these stop working once the animal gets used to them. Trapping and relocating is an option in some jurisdictions, though local wildlife regulations vary and relocating possums doesn’t solve the underlying attraction if food and shelter remain available on your property.