Virginia opossums carry a NatureServe S4 apparently secure rank in South Dakota, sitting near the edge of the species’ cold-hardiness range, where frostbitten ears and tail tips are a common sight on individuals that have survived a hard winter. The record leans toward iNaturalist (58) over GBIF (48), suggesting casual sightings document this species about as often as survey data.
February alone accounts for 13 of the year’s monthly-tallied records, nearly a quarter of the total, an unusual winter peak that likely reflects opossums foraging more visibly near roads and buildings when natural food is scarce; July shows zero records, a sharp contrast that may simply reflect reduced observer effort during peak summer travel season along the Missouri River corridor.
Full species profile
