Cleaning Up Our Environment One Bite at a Time
By Eliza Dorsey
In life you are taught to never judge a book by its cover but to see the beauty within. Those same principles can still be applied when looking at wildlife. Many animals aren’t the prettiest, but that doesn’t mean they don’t leave a big impact on the world around us. Almost every species of animal plays a beneficial role in our environment, such as keeping it healthy and clean for future generations of animals and humans.
Opossums
We are going to start by looking at the most common, unusual looking animal in Virginia, the opossum. These marsupials have a very unique appearance; many have described them as “cat-looking rats” for their long naked tails, oddly colored bodies, and funny-looking paws. Opossums are omnivores, this means they eat plants and meat; therefore their diet consists of rodents, ticks, fruits, and vegetables. According to Rehaber Mattie Libre at Wildlife Rescue League, we can see that their diet is number one as it helps protect others. Rodents such as mice have been known to carry a large number of diseases that can be transmitted to us and other animals. Because opossums consume rodent carcasses, it helps with disease prevention, making them a part of nature’s pest control.
Turkey Vultures
Turkey Vultures are another animal located in Virginia with a strange appearance. These birds can be recognized for their jet black feathers and red bald heads. You will see them on the side of the road eating dead animals, also known as carcasses. From a glance you may think they play no part in the environment as they only eat nasty dead animals, but in fact, it’s because they consume these carcasses that they are so important.
Process of a decaying animals
When an animal dies, they go through a state of decay. Typically within 24 hours, the dead animal will start to smell and attract flies. As flies start to land on the carcass, they will lay eggs, the eggs will then hatch and produce maggots. These maggots will eat the tissue (skin) of the animal, which helps bacteria and fungi grow by creating pathways for air to enter the carcass helping the bacteria spread.
How they prevent disease transmission
These steps help break down the dead animal, but turkey vultures play a key role in the process of decay as well. Turkey vultures have a very good sense of smell, so once the carcass starts to stink the turkey vulture will identify where it is and begin eating/consuming it. This helps clean up the bacteria created as an animal decomposes. If the bacteria is not consumed it can cause other animals to get sick or worse, making turkey vultures even more important to our ecosystem. Animals die in many different situations, such as being hit by a vehicle or killed by a predator, the main causes are disease and bacteria. Because other animals can contract the disease by consuming the meat of the diseased animal carcass, causing a wide spread of that disease. Turkey Vultures however, have a strong stomach acid that not only kills the bacteria once consumed, but they also produce an acidic uric acid. This acid also known as “pee” is excreted onto their legs to disinfect and prevent diseases from transferring onto their skin.
FUN FACT: Turkey Vulture’s beaks are adapted to open the carcass so it can be consumed themselves and by other animals
More than Meets the Eye
Opossums and turkey vultures may not be the prettiest, but as you can see they play a very important role in our environment. Without them, a lot more animals would suffer from deadly diseases. So the next time you see an animal that isn’t the most attractive, make sure you appreciate what’s on the inside and not just how they look on the outside.
References
Campbell, V. (2020, June 15). How the “Clean Up Crew” Contributes to Nature’s Balance. Wildlife Rescue League. https://www.wildliferescueleague.org/animals/turkey-vultures
Casey, C. (2015, January 21). A surprisingly good neighbor. Landscape Architecture Magazine. https://landscapearchitecturemagazine.org/2015/01/21/a-surprisingly-good-neighbor/
Forest Preserve District Will County. (2019, March 1). Creature feature: Opossums are nature’s pest control. The Buzz. https://www.reconnectwithnature.org/news-events/the-buzz/opossum-creature-feature/
Glebskiy, Y., & Cano-Santana, Z. (2023). Opossums cleaning our cities: consumption of rodent carcasses in an urban reserve. Mammalia, 88, 1-6. https://doi.org/10.1515/mammalia-2023-0069
Lobello, M., Bava, R., Castagna, F., Sotgiu, F., Berlinguer, F., & Tilocca, B. (2025). The Role of Vulture (Accipitriformes) Cutaneous Microbiota in Infectious Disease Protection. Microorganisms, 13. https://doi.org/10.3390/microorganisms13040898
Macoubrie, M. (2024, October 16). Death and Decomposition in Nature. Nebraskaland Magazine. https://magazine.outdoornebraska.gov/blogs/nebraska-nature/death-and-decomposition-in-nature/
Miller, M. L. (2021, May 11). Strange and surprising facts about opossums. Cool Green Science. https://blog.nature.org/2021/05/11/strange-and-surprising-facts-about-opossums/
Plaza, P., Blanco, G., & Lambertucci, S. (2020). Implications of bacterial, viral and mycotic microorganisms in vultures for wildlife conservation, ecosystem services and public health. Ibis, 162, 1109-1124. https://doi.org/10.1111/ibi.12865
Vulture Facts. (2025, April 23). Wildlife Center of Virginia. https://wildlifecenter.org/critter-corner/vulture-facts
Experts
Mattie Libre – A partner wildlife rehabilitator with Wildlife Rescue League
Emily Cook – Author of turkey vultures produced by Loudoun Wildlife Conservancy