being a member of the didelphidae (opossums), patagonian opossums feed mainly on insects and fruits, yet insects and fruits are fairly rare in far-southern habitats. the shortage of fruits and insects in southern regions has led the patagonian opossum to feed on mainly birds and mice. one specimen of patagonian opossum was caught using a dead bird as bait; this led some researchers to believe that the patagonian opossum lives totally on birds.