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INVASIVE SPECIES
In 1890, one man released 60 birds in New York Central park. 135 years later, there are 200 million of them across AmericaHow 60 birds became 200 million starlings: European starlings, numbering 200 million, trace their lineage to a 1890 Manhattan release. Euge...- Texas released 3 million captive-bred eggs to save this endangered amphibian. It may be workingA male Houston toad was sighted in Bastrop County, Texas, after a 50-year absence. This sighting follows the release of millions of captive...
- Australia built an A$187,000 electric fence across wild horse country; inside lies an endangered alpine wetland supporting three threatened animalsAn electric fence protects a rare alpine wetland in Australia's Kosciuszko National Park. This small area is home to three threatened nativ...
- In 1861, an English lord sent three red deer to New Zealand for sport; the animals multiplied until government hunters were killing 50,000 a yearThree deer introduced in 1861 multiplied into a national crisis. New Zealand's government hired men to kill 50,000 deer annually. These cul...
- In 2001, a USDA scientist released beetles to destroy an invasive tree, but they eliminated 94% of an endangered bird's habitat along one riverAn invasive beetle introduced to control tamarisk trees has devastated flycatcher nesting grounds. This beetle, released by the USDA, succe...
- In the 1770s, Captain Cook released pigs and goats in New Zealand to feed future sailors; their feral descendants began destroying native bushCaptain Cook introduced pigs and goats to New Zealand's Ship Cove in 1770 for future sailors. These animals became significant threats to n...
- In 1890, Eugene Schieffelin released European starlings in Central Park; within 69 years, their descendants had reached the PacificEugene Schieffelin released European starlings in Central Park in 1890. These birds spread across the continent within sixty-nine years. St...
- In 1935, an Australian entomologist shipped 102 cane toads from Hawaii to fight crop beetles; 2,400 were released before anyone tested the planAustralian scientists introduced toxic cane toads to control sugar cane pests in 1935. These toads failed to eat the target beetles and spr...
- In 1869, a French entomologist breeding European moths for an American silk industry let some escape; their descendants defoliated entire forestsAn amateur entomologist's escaped moths in 1869 led to widespread forest defoliation across America. This invasive insect has since damaged...
- In 1872, a Jamaican planter imported nine mongooses to kill rats in his sugarcane fields; the predators then turned on native birds and reptilesJamaican planters introduced mongooses to combat rat infestations destroying sugarcane harvests. These predators, however, did not stop at ...
- In 1850s, a Brooklyn scientist imported 16 English sparrows to eat urban caterpillars; by 1915, the invasive birds had spread across AmericaHouse sparrows were introduced to America in 1850, which quickly led to their widespread establishment. These birds, initially intended to ...
- How Australia’s Brown Tree snakes reached Guam after World War II and left biologists baffled by the invasionBrown tree snakes, an invasive species on Guam, have baffled biologists for years. Their population is believed to have started with only a...
- From a 1937 garden planting to an ecological crisis: One Miconia tree now spreads 8.9 million seeds, endangering Queensland's iconic rainforestsToday, a single mature Miconia tree can produce over 8.9 million seeds in one season. What began as a 1937 garden introduction in tahiti ha...
- Britain dropped more than 300 tons of poison across South Georgia to kill every rat; by 2018, over 100,000 hectares were rodent-freeSouth Georgia island successfully removed its rat population after a massive eradication effort. Helicopters dropped poisoned bait across t...
- 1,500 ships trapped in Gulf of Hormuz are quietly multiplying an underwater army that could unleash World's biggest bioinvasion eventGulf of Hormuz underwater army: Nearly fifteen hundred ships stuck in the Persian Gulf after fighting closed the Strait of Hormuz. These id...
- Since 1969, Florida has battled the giant African land snail, smuggled in as exotic pets; the fist-sized invader eats 500 plant species and even the plaster off housesGiant African land snails, introduced as pets, caused a major Florida crisis. These hermaphroditic snails reproduce prolifically, laying hu...
- In 2010, Australian scientists fed native predators toad sausages spiked with a nausea drug so they would learn to avoid deadly cane toads: a trick now used to train quolls before toads arriveBaby quolls learned to avoid toxic cane toads after experiencing nausea from a special snack. This conservation method helps protect the en...
- Catch a giant snake, get a free pizza: Florida restaurant is handing out free python pizza during the state's $10,000 snake huntA Florida restaurant is offering free python pizza for participants capturing invasive Burmese pythons. This promotion supports efforts to ...
- Snake eggs in your garden? Don't move them until you know these thingsFinding snake eggs in your garden requires careful consideration before any action. Moving reptile eggs can pose risks to developing embryo...
- A $7 billion seafood species has become an invasive resident on the US East Coast - here's why scientists are concernedManila clams, a valuable seafood species, have established a breeding population in Boston Harbor. This marks the first known successful es...
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