The Sanibel-Captiva Conservation Foundation (SCCF) reported that there are still a few notable wildlife species that have not been documented since before the storm surge from Hurricane Ian.<\/p>\n
Many of the species had a strong correlation with freshwater bodies, but there are still at least two that live primarily on land in leaf litter or in trees or cavities. They are the Virginia opossum (Didelphis virginiana) and Florida brown snake.<\/p>\n
Although native to Florida, the opossum was not part of the extant island fauna prior to the opening of the Sanibel Causeway in May 1963.<\/p>\n
\u201cIt is assumed that this species walked over the causeway to inhabit Sanibel either during or right after its opening,\u201d SCCF Wildlife & Habitat Management Director Chris Lechowicz said.<\/p>\n
The marsupial, the only one of its kind found in North America, was included in reports by the J.N. \u201cDing\u201d Darling National Wildlife Refuge in late 1963 and was a commonly seen mammal on the island thereafter. They were, unfortunately, frequent victims of road mortality due to frequent crossing of roads.<\/p>\n
Opossums appeared to be almost as common as raccoons on the island pre-Ian, but less of a nuisance. Raccoons were the leading predator of sea turtle nests until the arrival of coyotes in 2011, as well as a round of distemper. They were also a nuisance at restaurants with open dumpsters. Opossums did participate in this activity, but at a much lower frequency.<\/p>\n
Virginia opossums are omnivorous and eat a variety of fruits and seeds, as well as invertebrates, eggs of reptiles and birds, and other small vertebrates. They are not considered aggressive. If cornered, they will open their mouth, show their sharp teeth to look menacing, hiss, drool and such. If this does not work, they will play dead to fool predators such as dogs and bobcats. They have a prehensile tail, which can be used to grab onto branches.<\/p>\n
\u201cAlthough they appear to be temporarily extirpated or extinct in our area, it is likely that they will reinhabit the island at some point by crossing the causeway again,\u201d he said. \u201cThe real difference is that when opossums first migrated to the island, wildlife was much more common along the coast because there was far less development.\u201d<\/p>\n
Now, many species along the coast are far less common, so it may take longer for them to find their way back to the island. The SCCF reported that is interesting to note that raccoons, which are very similar to opossums\u2019 niche-wise, were mostly unaffected by the storm surge, and opossums, which were not present pre-causeway, appear to have been wiped out by the surge.<\/p>\n
If you see an opossum on Sanibel or Captiva, take a photo if possible and report the sighting to info@sccf.org.<\/p>\n