College of Veterinary Medicine, University of Illinois, Urbana, IL 61801, USA.
College of Veterinary Medicine, University of Illinois, Urbana, IL 61801, USA,
J Zoo Wildl Med. 2024 Sep;55(3):620-628. doi: 10.1638/2023-0008.
The Virginia opossum () is the only marsupial in North America with a natural range north of Mexico. Its range is widespread throughout the United States, including Illinois. Virginia opossums are opportunistic omnivores that will eat a variety of fruits, grains, insects, and even carrion. They are a ground-foraging species, with frequent soil contact allowing for potential exposure to heavy metal contaminants in terrestrial environments. They are also opportunists that thrive in human-altered ecosystems, including peri-urban environments. Lead is a naturally occurring element and highly toxic metal that is abundant in the soil, primarily due to anthropogenic factors such as fossil fuel use, paint, industrial production waste, and battery recycling. Furthermore, carrion and offal piles containing lead bullet fragments remaining from hunting result in environmental contamination of this heavy metal. Few studies exist on lead exposure in the Virginia opossum. This pilot study evaluates the blood lead burden of 16 free-ranging Virginia opossums presented to a wildlife rehabilitation facility, compared with 16 wild-caught Virginia opossums trapped in grassland, maintained forest, or mixed ecotones. In other species, lead toxicosis has been associated with cognitive dysfunction that may increase the likelihood of trauma or injury in a free-ranging setting. In addition, a high incidence of Virginia opossums presenting for wildlife rehabilitation do so as result of human-animal conflict. Therefore, it was anticipated that individuals presenting for wildlife rehabilitation would have significantly higher blood lead concentrations than their free-roaming counterparts. In this study, every Virginia opossum had measurable blood lead concentrations and the average blood lead concentration of the rehabilitated group was 2.7 times higher than that measured in wild-caught Virginia opossums. These results suggest that Virginia opossums are exposed and susceptible to lead toxicosis due to their diet and foraging behaviors, making them more prone to subsequent injury and presentation to wildlife rehabilitation centers.
弗吉尼亚负鼠（）是北美唯一一种自然分布范围北至墨西哥的有袋动物。其分布范围广泛，遍及美国各地，包括伊利诺伊州。弗吉尼亚负鼠是机会主义的杂食动物，会吃各种水果、谷物、昆虫，甚至腐肉。它们是一种在地面觅食的物种，经常与土壤接触，使它们有可能接触到陆地环境中的重金属污染物。它们也是在人类改变的生态系统中茁壮成长的机会主义者，包括城市周边环境。铅是一种天然存在的元素和剧毒金属，在土壤中含量丰富，主要是由于人为因素，如化石燃料使用、油漆、工业生产废物和电池回收。此外，含有狩猎用铅弹碎片的腐肉和内脏堆会导致这种重金属的环境污染。关于弗吉尼亚负鼠的铅暴露的研究很少。这项初步研究评估了 16 只被送到野生动物康复中心的自由放养的弗吉尼亚负鼠的血液铅负荷，与 16 只在草原、森林或混合生态区捕获的野生弗吉尼亚负鼠进行了比较。在其他物种中，铅中毒与认知功能障碍有关，这可能会增加在自由放养环境中受伤或受伤的可能性。此外，许多到野生动物康复中心就诊的弗吉尼亚负鼠都是由于人与动物的冲突造成的。因此，预计接受野生动物康复的个体的血液铅浓度会明显高于自由活动的个体。在这项研究中，每只弗吉尼亚负鼠都有可测量的血液铅浓度，康复组的平均血液铅浓度是野生捕获的弗吉尼亚负鼠的 2.7 倍。这些结果表明，由于饮食和觅食行为，弗吉尼亚负鼠接触并易受铅中毒影响，使它们更容易受到随后的伤害，并被送到野生动物康复中心。
