Despite being two different species of squirrel the grey and red squirrel do share some similarities, says Mark Henderson from the Red Squirrel Survival Trust. Both squirrels are arboreal (tree dwelling) and diurnal (out and about in the day). Their primary food source is generally the nuts and seeds of trees, but is supplemented by […]
Tag: invasive species
It took just 60 years for the red fox, one of Australia’s most devastating predators, to colonise the continent
To a newly arrived red fox, the abundant rolling grasslands and swamps of Wadawurrung Country, around what is now called Port Phillip Bay in Victoria, must have seemed like a predator’s paradise. This landscape was filled with small native marsupials and birds, and free of European wolves or bears that usually kept fox numbers in […]
Rodent for dinner? California officials urge residents to eat invasive nutria
Wildlife officials are encouraging California residents to add a rodent to their daily diet as part of efforts to control the invasive species‘ population. The nutria, a large, semi-aquatic rodent native to South America, is threatening the state’s ecosystems by destroying habitats and outcompeting native wildlife. The nutria’s harmful impacts have prompted wildlife officials to […]
1 in 4 freshwater species worldwide at risk of extinction: Study
The most extensive global assessment of freshwater animals to date has revealed that a quarter of all freshwater animal species on the IUCN Red List are threatened with extinction. The largest number of these threatened species are found in East Africa’s Lake Victoria, South America’s Lake Titicaca, Sri Lanka‘s Wet Zone, and India’s Western Ghats […]
Almost extinct Caribbean lizard makes a comeback after island restoration
A tiny lizard found only on one tiny Caribbean island has seen a dramatic 1,500% increase in its population, after just a few years of island restoration efforts. In 2018, researchers estimated there were fewer than 100 individuals of the critically endangered Sombrero ground lizard (Pholidoscelis corvinus) on the small hat-shaped Sombrero Island, part of […]
Rare Invasive Insects Intercepted at Dulles Airport Pose Economic Threat
In a surprising discovery, Customs and Border Protection inspectors at Dulles International Airport recently encountered two exotic insects not typically seen in the Washington, D.C. area. On October 7, during a routine inspection of a flower shipment from South Africa, officials identified two potentially harmful species that could pose significant threats to local agriculture. […]
The Burmese python problem: how 20ft predators are wreaking havoc on the Everglades
An invasive predator that can grow up to 20ft, weigh over 100kg and devour prey six times its size – it is enough to make anyone’s skin crawl. That’s what residents of southern Florida have been struggling with for the past few decades, with the rapid growth of the Burmese python population in the Everglades. […]
Invasive species are often threatened in their native ranges
Many species that are considered invasive in areas where they’ve been introduced may actually be threatened with extinction in their home ranges. A new study published in Conservation Letters explores this conservation paradox, asking whether or not nonnative species that are endangered in their native range should be protected or controlled. “We were interested in […]