Blog 1 - Invasive Species

          Cane toads are a venomous species native to the Americas. They are relatively large in size, as far as toads go, and have the typical characteristic of warty skin. In an attempt to reduce the large population of beetles destroying sugarcane plants, cane toads were introduced to Australia in the 1930s. The attempt was unsuccessful, and the cane toads quickly reproduced, spread, and were labeled as an invasive species, with no natural predators to keep their numbers in check.

          In 1935, the cane toads were released on sugarcane plantations in north Queensland. Since then, the toads have spread all over northeastern Australia, and their numbers have increased from the original 3,000 to the present day several millions.

          Cane toads are causing problems for Australians not only due to their great numbers but also because they are poisonous. Native species as well as pets die from eating them or their eggs, and they can also poison humans. Native species that do not try to eat them are often consumed by the cane toads, causing a large reduction in the number of several species.

          To try to fix problems, Australians have attempted many methods. They may freeze them, pour chemicals on them, or even hit them with golf clubs. Recently, however, scientists have come up with a new proposal that will eventually cause the species to die out without actually killing any toads. Scientists would inject a gene into the cane toads that would make it so that they could only reproduce to form male toads. Without any females to mate with, the species would eventually stop growing, and the remaining cane toads would eventually die out completely.

          In America, the wild boar has proved to be a pesky invasive species. They were introduced in the 1500s from Eurasia as a means of obtaining food. They threaten landowners and farmers, as well as hunters, because they root and wallow, causing erosion among river banks and streams. These activities also cause damage to property and livestock, breaking through fences to consume feed meant for domestic and farm animals. They eat up crops and even pose as predators to livestock and small animals. To fix this problem, there are hunting and trapping programs, many asking for wild boar to be shot at first sight. It may not be the most conventional method, but it is currently one of the few methods being taken.

          Invasive species are something we should be concerned with because they are threats to many habitats and the native species living there. Many native species have become extinct due to the introduction of invasive species in their environments, something so easily avoided. Our issues with invasive species in the United States are similar to those in Australia (rabbits and cane toads) because both countries have had to take extreme measures to fight the problem and have both suffered declines in the number of native species living in the area that the invasive species had been introduced in, and both countries have had to take extreme measures to attempt to correct the problem of these pests.