Some invasive species can cling to the undersides of boats and be brought to new bodies of water HABITAT HOMES NATIVES VS INVADERS A habitat is the natural environment where an animal lives The habitat provides everything that the animal needs to survive This includes food water and shelter Most animals adapt to the habitat in which they live This means they have the characteristics they need to survive there For example camels have long eyelashes to protect their eyes from the blowing dirt and sand in the deserts where they live Because most animals are specifically adapted to their habitats they are not usually able to survive in a completely different environment 6
Native animals are animals that existed in their habitats before the arrival of humans Nonnative animals are animals that have been brought to a new location Invasive species are those nonnative species that cause harm to other species in the ecosystem where they have been introduced Usually nonnative animals are transferred through human activity The introduction of these new animals can often cause serious problems When problems arise the animal becomes an invasive species Nonnative species usually only survive if a new location is a similar habitat to the one the animal came from An animal that is used to living in a forest with lots of water and trees would die in a dry desert 7
Cattle are nonnative animals to North America They provide humans with milk meat and hide Not all nonnative animals are invasive Many nonnative species are good For example the livestock raised in the United States such as cows pigs and chickens are not native to North America European settlers brought these animals to be raised for food Europeans also brought honeybees Bees pollinate flowers and many crops Only about 10 to 15 percent of newly introduced animals establish themselves and breed in their new habitats The rest die Fewer than one percent of nonnative animals will create problems in their new environments Bees produce products such as honey and beeswax that are helpful to humans 8
But these invasive species can cause huge damage Invasive animals cause habitat destruction They sometimes threaten and even cause extinction of native plants and animals They also can cause billions of dollars in damage Animal invaders can even cause harm to humans through bites and diseases Invasive insects can cause serious damage to crops Each type of environment on Earth is distinguished by climate and the species that live there Five of the most common environments are aquatic grassland tundra forest and desert DID YOU KNOW What makes a species invasive Here are some common traits among invasive animal species They are nonnative They are capable of doing harm to native habitats the economy or public health They have few natural predators in their new habitats They reproduce at high rates They are able to compete with native species for resources such as food and space They are able to thrive in different locations 9
