Readers of this blog will know we have spent a lot of time on invasive species worldwide. Invasive species come in all sizes and varieties and much of what they have in common is damage and displacement. Yesterday we once again discussed Florida Burmese pythons which are truly wreaking havoc in the Florida Everglades. InContinue reading “Invasive Species Alert: Atlas Moth Found In United States For First Time”
Category Archives: Invasive Species
Polish Academy Of Science Declares Housecats To Be An Alien Invasive Species – Asks Owners To Keep Them From Roaming
Many people love housecats. They have been a hit with their human friends since the days of ancient Egypt. Today they are Youtube sensations and staples of popular culture from Tom and Jerry and Sylvester to Catbert and Simon’s Cat and the latest OwlKitty. But the very reason they are popular is also the veryContinue reading “Polish Academy Of Science Declares Housecats To Be An Alien Invasive Species – Asks Owners To Keep Them From Roaming”
Britain Re-Introduces Wild Bison In Bid To “Re-Engineer” Island’s Eco-System
Wild European bison are returning to Great Britain for the first time in 12,000 years. The experiment is designed to re-engineer the English eco-system using the particular habits of the beasts. The animals are being introduced into a nature preserve. European bison are cousins of the familiar American bison, often called buffalo. They vanished fromContinue reading “Britain Re-Introduces Wild Bison In Bid To “Re-Engineer” Island’s Eco-System”
Invasive Species: Giant African Land Snail Spotted, May Add To Florida’s Woes
The Bad news: Giant African land snails have been spotted in Pasco County, Florida. The good news: They have been found in Florida before and have been successfully eradicated. It won’t be easy. The eradication of previous outbreaks took years and required lots of effort but the stakes are high. The snails are huge, theContinue reading “Invasive Species: Giant African Land Snail Spotted, May Add To Florida’s Woes”
Invasive Giant Florida Python Captured With Remains Of Adult Deer In Belly; State Continues Aggressive Anti-Python Efforts
The biggest python ever caught in the US and one of the world’s largest, was captured in Flordia after eating an adult deer. The giant snake highlights the problem the state has with the invasive species. Florida is working to control pythons with technology, old-fashioned hunting and various contests. The snake was about 25 feetContinue reading “Invasive Giant Florida Python Captured With Remains Of Adult Deer In Belly; State Continues Aggressive Anti-Python Efforts”
Alaska Fighting A Familiar And Unpopular Invasive Species: Rats; State Works To Eliminate Them
The issue of invasive species is a problem world wide. Creatures are brought from their native habitats intentionally or by accident and the results can be anything from beneficial to disastrous. Recently we have written about invasive hippos in Colombia, domestic cats (gone feral) in Australia, and spiders in the United States. Of the threeContinue reading “Alaska Fighting A Familiar And Unpopular Invasive Species: Rats; State Works To Eliminate Them”
Invasive Joro Spider May Colonize Entire US East Coast; Do Genetic Weapons Hold Key to Battle Against Invasive Species?
It is the stuff of an arachnopobes nightmare: large as a human palm and spreading a huge web – it is the invasive Joro spider and it appears to have colonized Georgia and seems likely to spread throughout the eastern seaboard. The joro spider is native to Japan. It began showing up in Georgia recentlyContinue reading “Invasive Joro Spider May Colonize Entire US East Coast; Do Genetic Weapons Hold Key to Battle Against Invasive Species?”
Bad News For Bats: Bat Falcon Spotted in United States For First Time; And Invasive Noble Widow Spider Caught Chowing Down on Bats in Britain
Bats are amazing flying mammals ranging in size from tiny to tremendous. Most consume great volumes of insects, some eat fruit. Other creatures return the favor including a falcon now at least visiting the U.S. and a poisonous spider. Bat falcons are small falcons living mostly in Mexico and Central America. There may be asContinue reading “Bad News For Bats: Bat Falcon Spotted in United States For First Time; And Invasive Noble Widow Spider Caught Chowing Down on Bats in Britain”
Drug Lord Pablo Escobar’s Hippos May Be Culled to Prevent Overpopulation and Serious Damage
We reported a little while ago on drug lord Pablo Escobar’s decision to bring hippopotami to Colombia to populate a private ranch. Now some of the progeny of the dead drug lord’s hippos may have to be killed to contain the damage he caused. During his career, which ended in a police shootout in 1994,Continue reading “Drug Lord Pablo Escobar’s Hippos May Be Culled to Prevent Overpopulation and Serious Damage”
News Roundup: Stories of Interest You Might Have Missed
News Media Goes Crazy over “Mega Spider” Yes, it is large, aggressive and dangerous but it wasn’t quite deserving of the feverish coverage it received. A larger than normal Australian funnel web spider was discovered and has made it way into a forever terrarium. But the media over reacted with head lines about fangs thatContinue reading “News Roundup: Stories of Interest You Might Have Missed”