Beware the Burmese Pythons and Other Invasive Animal Species
CONTENTS Introduction Nutria Save Our Wetlands Cane Toads Hop To It Be Part of the Solution Starlings Don't Be a Birdbrain Report This Pest Tawny Crazy Ants Stop the Spread Now
Feral Cats Don't Be Fooled Rabbitfish Stop Invasion in Its Tracks Don't Throw It Back Killer Shrimp Stop Aquatic Hitchhikers Burmese Pythons Don't Let It Loose Northern Snakehead Fish Do Not Throw it Back Cactus Moths Be on the Lookout for This Invader Conclusion Glossary Selected Sources and Further Reading
Introduction Worse than that Then what DO you mean What's the big deal New species might be fun ALIENS HAVE INVADED You mean the ones with big heads skinny legs and three eyes You mean the ones with antennae and green skin It's not a big deal when native species stay in their natural habitats Even worse than that We're being invaded by invasive alien species animals that aren't native to our environment But they can be huge frouble in new places These aliens are destroying ecosystems all over the world
Yeah right Name one alien Lots Rabbits in Australia cause millions of dollars of damage to farmers crops Sure when there's one Yup Things are so bad that one Australian state has outlawed owning a pet rabbit unless you're a magician a circus act or a scientisf About 160 years ago a man imported 24 rabbits from England so he could hunt them Seventy years later the Australian rabbit population was 10 billion Rabbits When there are millions of rabbits taking over a whole country then it's a disaster They also contribute to soil erosion and compete with native animals for food and homes Wow That definitely was not a smart move But hey that's just one animal and one goofy guy Rabbits No way Rabbits are cute and cuddly Come on How much harm can a bunch of bunnies do Really How did all this start Oh yeah There are lots more
