![]() Prominent features of nutria include white whiskers and large, orange teeth. But a more recent development is detection of the species north of the river, specifically in the Chickahominy River watershed. Nutria have long been established in the waters of south Hampton Roads and along the southern shoreline of the James River up to Interstate 95, according to Todd Englemeyer, also a biologist with the Department of Wildlife Resources. The residual sediment erodes away and becomes open water with no chance of recovery. The denuded ecosystem then becomes inhospitable for other creatures that normally live there. Semiaquatic rodents that are native to South America, nutria can completely destroy marshes by devouring the all the vegetation. Nutria, on the other hand, have proven to be much more destructive. Thankfully, snakeheads do not seem to be decimating local populations of native species - a worst-case scenario some scientists feared when snakeheads first arrived - but wildlife officials nonetheless hope to limit the impact that the invasive fish is having. Snakeheads are very opportunistic feeders and will eat almost anything that’s in front of them, according to Odenkirk. Nuckols said she determined that the snakehead she recently caught had just eaten three large minnows. The team was cognizant of the effects that abnormal disruptions, such as the presence of snakeheads, were having on native species, according to Nuckols. She was part of a team of Pamunkey Indian Tribe members who worked with scientists from the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration to study and tag Atlantic sturgeon to better understand the endangered fish. ![]() Nuckols said she’s aware of the potential problems that snakeheads pose for local ecosystems. ![]()
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