Natural Born Killers
CNN has a great story about how people have introduced non-native species of animals to various regions in order to control bothersome pests. More often than not, the consequences are worse than the original problem. The new invaders will often times destroy entire populations of native species which were never intended to be the target.
One case in the CNN article is the cane toad which was introduced to Australia in 1935 to control scarab beetles which were wreaking havoc on sugarcane crops. The toads didn’t have much effect on the beetle populations, but are having a severe effect on crocodile populations. The toads are highly toxic so when the crocodiles eat them, they die of heart failure. “Crocodile populations that have come across these new pests have been dropping like flies, in some places by as much as 77 percent.”
This story brought to mind a few instances of how non-native invasive species have changed our environment here in Florida where I live. I rarely see green anoles because they have been replaced by the Cuban brown anoles that hitched a ride here on shipping containers. Cuban tree frogs have also been a huge problem, since they eat anything that will fit in their mouths. Not just bugs, but mice, small birds, and native tree frogs. Burmese pythons have established a substantial population in the Everglades from pet owners who no longer want them. The list of invasive species that were introduced to Florida, both by accident, and on purpose is huge.
According to Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission, “Over 400 nonnative fish and wildlife species and 1180 exotic plant species have been documented in the state.”
So this is a great opportunity to remind everyone who owns any type of exotic animal that you have a great responsibility to make sure your pets don’t screw up our environment. Make sure your enclosures are secure. If you no longer want your pet, don’t let it go. Find someone to take it off your hands, no matter how long it takes.
