Invasive and Non Native Species Trivia

1. Mentioned in the Disney tune, "Bare Necessities", what was introduced to Australia in 1788 by the British in an attempt to establish a cochineal dye industry?

From Quiz Everything UnAustralian

Answer: Prickly Pear

At the time, the cochineal dye industry was controlled by Spain and Portugal, and as the dye was used in the manufacture of British soldier's red coats, it made sense for the British to grab a piece of the action. Unfortunately the dye producing insects in the plants imported from Brazil soon died off, but the Prickly Pears thrived ruining about about 100,000 square miles of agricultural land. The prickly pear population was finally brought under control in the 1920s through the introduction of a South American moth which feeds on the plant.

From Quiz Florida's Alien Invasion

Answer: tegus eat eggs

Tegus are large (4 feet/1.3 meters and up to 45 pounds/20 kilograms) and fairly aggressive lizards. They are omnivorous, but have a fondness for eggs so profound that trappers bait their devices with chicken eggs. A single adult tegu can destroy several bird or turtle nests or an alligator nest in one feeding. The Tegu reached Florida in the 1980s, but became a serious problem in the 1990s after hurricane Andrew (1992) destroyed several exotic pet breeding facilities, releasing dozens of mature tegus into the Everglades.

From Quiz It Made Sense at the Time...

Answer: To hunt

Thomas Austin was a British landowner who had relocated to Australia. He missed hunting rabbits, one of his favorite hobbies back in England. At the time, it seemed like a great idea to import and then release European rabbits on his land. While he only released 24 rabbits, by the turn of the 20th century there were millions of rabbits wreaking havoc on the ecology of Australia. The weather allowed them to breed all year long and an abundance of food meant they were well fed. They caused millions of dollars in crop damage, as well as being responsible for the loss of topsoil. They are suspected of being one of the most important factors in the loss of indigenous species in Australia. Biological control methods as well as long rabbit-proof fences have been used in an attempt to overcome the devastation caused by this invasive species.

From Quiz Everything UnAustralian

Answer: Common Myna

The common myna is one of only three birds listed on 2000 IUCN (International Union for Conservation of Nature) Species Survival Commission report on the top 100 species that pose an impact to biodiversity, agriculture and human interests, the other two being the red-vented bulbul and the European starling. The common myna is highly territorial and will drive native species out of wildlife areas as well as causing huge damage to agricultural crops such as grain and fruit. Furthermore they are highly vocal, so the noise and smell from droppings of large colonies can be intensely annoying and while a typical Australian colony numbers around 100 birds, roosts of 5,000 have been known to occur in other countries.

From Quiz Florida's Alien Invasion

Answer: walking catfish

The walking catfish is an air breathing catfish from Southeast Asia. Generally introduced through the exotic aquarium trade, they seem to be able to establish themselves anywhere. In 2017 a walking catfish was taken from the Tonge River near Bolton, Greater Manchester, England. These aggressive catfish are a threat to native aquatic fauna and have been known to destroy commercial aquaculture stocks.

From Quiz Spreading Species

Answer: raccoons

The German name comes from the raccoon's habit of "washing" food in water before consuming it.

From Quiz Everything UnAustralian

Answer: Mosquitofish

The populations of beetle species, several fish species and at least ten species of frog have all declined since the introduction of the mosquitofish, who consume so much zooplankton that algae is able to survive leading to much reduced water quality. Scientific debate also continues as to whether these fish actually contribute towards a reduction of mosquitoes and mosquito borne disease as they eat mainly small insects and insect larvae, along with detritus material, with mosquitoes making up only a small part of their diet. In fact, studies have also shown that at least 5,000 fish per hectare are required for effective mosquito control and to be of maximum benefit, these fish would need to follow the migratory breeding patterns of the mosquito.

From Quiz Spreading Species

Answer: Caspian Sea

To avoid spreading the problem, responsible boaters need to thoroughly clean and scrape their vessels before moving them to a new body of water.

From Quiz Everything UnAustralian

Answer: Feral Horse

Horses were taken over to Australia to assist in farm work and the brumbies of today are the descendants of horses that were lost or abandoned. They have no known predators and although many die each year from the effects of drought, parasitic disease and consuming poisonous plants, their numbers are so great that regular culls are required to control the population, as is fertility control. While not as great a pest as some in this quiz, they do cause soil loss and erosion, tree death due to continual chewing on the bark and damage to waterholes as well as spreading invasive species of flora.

From Quiz Florida's Alien Invasion

Answer: Burmese python

Another example of exotic pet farms meeting hurricane Andrew (1992), dozens, perhaps hundreds of Burmese pythons escaped into the Everglades from the wreckage of their breeding farms. The snakes are so hard to see in the wild that population estimates vary by an order of magnitude, between 30 thousand and 300 thousand individuals. Specimens in excess of 17 feet/5.2 meters long have been delivered to the Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission. Large Burmese pythons have been taken that had recently consumed six foot/two meter alligators. Large alligators have been known to level the score by eating moderate sized pythons. Thankfully, neither reticulated pythons nor anacondas have established breeding populations as of 2019, but both have been reported on the loose in the Sunshine State.

From Quiz Spreading Species

Answer: because they were mentioned by Shakespeare

Eugene Schieffelin was a member of the Acclimitization Society, and by report (now disputed) decided to introduce every creature mentioned by Shakespeare to the US. A crazy plan, and the birds are noisy and produce voluminous quantities of guano wherever they congregate. They also compete with native songbirds for nesting sites. Schieffelin tried to establish bullfinches, chaffinches, skylarks and nightingales with less success.

From Quiz Spreading Species

Answer: sting

Fire ants are believed to have entered the US at the port of Mobile in the early 20th century. They are omnivorous, and thus wreak havoc on animal and plant life in the areas they have commandeered. When they attack, they do bite, but that is to hold on while they curve around to sting, which they can do repeatedly. The venom contains a toxic alkaloid; most people react by developing a small collection of pus at the site.

From Quiz Everything UnAustralian

Answer: Camel

Camels were hugely useful in the construction industry in 19th century Australia as well as being used for transport. The advent of motorised transport in the early 20th century though meant that the camel was no longer cost effective so they were released. Following the realisation that the population of one million was set to double every decade, a camel management programme was launched in 2009 and by 2013, the population was down to a much more manageable 300,000. Camels are known to severely overgraze sensitive lands and given the numbers reported in 2008, it is no surprise to find that this was happening. Camels have found a new use in the late 20th century as once feral camels are now used for camel racing and tourism excursions as well as being bred for both their meat and milk.

From Quiz It Made Sense at the Time...

Answer: Fish

The Nile perch is a very large fish that makes its home in many of Africa's freshwater lakes. It can grow as large as 440lbs (200kg) and as long as six ft (almost 2m). It was found naturally in many areas of northern Africa where it was an important food source for the indigenous populations who lived in the area. The Nile perch was deliberately introduced into Lake Victoria in Uganda in 1954. At the time it seemed like a good idea to bring this fish in as it grows quickly, is very adaptable, and would bring in tourist dollars from those who wished to catch large fish. Since it was introduced, its presence has played a part in the extinction of more than 200 species of plants and animals endemic to the area. The Nile perch can be a fearsome predator who will eat anything small enough to fit into its mouth. The aquatic animals it did not eat, often starved to death because of competition for the remaining food. This fish has recently shown up in Australian lakes where heavy penalties have been enacted in an attempt to keep the fresh water lakes of Australia free from this fish.

From Quiz Everything UnAustralian

Answer: Northern Pacific Seastar

The Northern Pacific Seastar is a star fish capable of reaching a size measuring 50cm (20 inches) from arm tip to arm tip and is having a huge impact on mariculture as it will devour any shellfish that it encounters, using its arms to pry open the shell before devouring the meat. In Tasmania in 1993, an attempt was made to drastically reduce the population by using a volunteer force to remove as many as possible. This resulted in over 30,000 being collected, but unfortunately the majority were cut up and thrown back into the sea, where as long as the star fish has part of their central disc remaining, they will regenerate. Suddenly one Northern Pacific Seastar becomes five, and the problem just got a whole lot worse.

From Quiz Spreading Species

Answer: Guam

The snakes also cause problems with electric wires. They are equal opportunity marauders, eating mammals and lizards as well as birds.

From Quiz Everything UnAustralian

Answer: Red Fox

The red fox was taken to Australia to allow settlers to indulge in the once popular British pastime of fox hunting, and is now prevalent across the whole country apart from Tasmania where it is presumed it lost out in feeding and territory to the Tasmanian Devil. Apart from the desert rat-kangaroo, the red fox has had significant impact on several other native species including bettongs, numbats, wallabies and quokkas, many of which can now only be found in areas without a red fox population.

From Quiz It Made Sense at the Time...

Answer: The American bullfrog

The Rana catesbeiana is more commonly known as the American bullfrog. It has been introduced to over forty different countries of the world on four continents. The importation of these frogs was done when someone thought it would be a good idea to make a frog farm. Frog legs are considered a delicacy in many parts of the world. They escaped easily and reproduce quickly. These amphibians are responsible for outbreaks of the chytrid fungus which causes death among local amphibian populations. They are also formidable competitors for the native food species, endangering local populations of fish, snakes, birds, and rodents. Many countries have enacted laws against further introductions of the animal and have started to attempt eradication of those bullfrogs found within their boundaries.

From Quiz Spreading Species

Answer: coypu

They destroy local vegetation, erode riverbanks and crowd out native animals.

From Quiz Everything UnAustralian

Answer: Crazy Ant

Land crabs are vitally important to the forest ecology of Christmas Island as, while digging their burrows, they turn over the soil, and fertilise it with their droppings but the super colony of crazy ants have killed huge numbers of many species, to the extent that robber crabs, red crabs, and blue crabs have been completely wiped out in areas of high crazy ant populations. This has meant that, in turn, seedlings which would have been eaten by these crabs are flourishing, changing the whole structure of the forests. It is estimated that up to 20 million crabs have been killed by this super colony and, worryingly, the ants have also been found in Queensland and the Northern Territory.

From Quiz Everything UnAustralian

Answer: Cane Toad

Sugar cane is one of Australia's major agricultural crops, so when the plants were being destroyed by the native cane beetle, it seemed like a good idea to bring the beetle's natural enemy, the cane toad over from Hawaii. With their incredible breeding rates,these toads were soon everywhere, but their toxic skin caused the death of many native species and severe declines in the populations of goanna and many species of snakes. Since the realisation that the cane toad was causing immense harm there have been several attempts to control the population but none have had any great success, although the popularity of cane toad racing does seem to be rising.

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Last Updated Oct 26 2024 5:51 AM

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