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Incoming! The World’s 10 Worst Invasive Species. KUDZU. ORIGIN – Japan & Southeast China New Location(s) – Southern USA; New Jersey; Oregon How it introduced - At the Philadelphia Centennial Expo of 1876 as a fast-growing ground cover
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KUDZU • ORIGIN – Japan & Southeast China • New Location(s) – Southern USA; New Jersey; Oregon • How it introduced - At the Philadelphia Centennial Expo of 1876 as a fast-growing ground cover • How it harmful - The vine is very fast-growing and overgrows, taking over native plant species
Rabbits • Origin – Europe • New Location – Australia • How it was introduced – Thomas Austin, in 1859, released 24 rabbits in Australia • How it is harmful – They destroy native plants; cause soil erosion; damage the food chains
Starlings • Origin – Europe • New Location – All over the USA • How it was introduced - In 1890, Eugene Schieffelin released 60 starlings in Central Park • How it is harmful – Decrease the numbers of native birds; $800 Million in agricultural losses; cause of deadly plane crashes
Burmese Python • Origin – Asia • New Location – Florida Everglades • How it was introduced – People released pets they no longer wanted into the areas surrounding the glades • How it is harmful – It has few predators so its numbers are not kept in check; it eats endangered species; disrupts the food chains
Cane Toads • Origin – America (Texas) • New Location – Queensland, Australia • How it was introduced – Purposely released to control the population of beetles in sugar cane plantations • How it is harmful – Has toxins which kill would-be predators; eats native species reducing their numbers
Snakehead Fish • Origin – East Asia & Africa • New Location – Leeds, England • How introduced – By fisheries • How harmful – They devour anything they can find; they can crawl on the ground & survive for 4 days breathing air
Eastern Grey Squirrel • Origin – North America • New Location – Great Britain • How it was introduced – Deliberately introduced in the 19th century; the releasers were curious about grey squirrels • How it is harmful – Grey squirrels compete more successfully then the native Red Squirrels; grey squirrels also carry a virus that infects the red squirrels
Killer Bees (Africanized Honey Bees) Origin – Sao Paulo, Brazil • New Locations- New Orleans, Southern Utah, throughout South America • How it was introduced – In 1957, 26 Tanzanian queen bees were accidentally released by a beekeeper and mated with honey bees • How it is harmful – The hybrid bees are VERY aggressive bees
Asian Carp • Origin – China • New Locations - Midwestern USA; along the Mississippi River • Imported to clear the algae from catfish ponds in the Southern USA. Flooding allowed the carp to spread to the Mississippi River then to other locations • How harmful – Detrimental to the environment; Uproot natural vegetation
Rats • Origin – Norwegian rats from Japanese boats • New Location – Alaska Aleutian Island Chain • How it was introduced – Norway rats escaped a shipwrecked Japanese boat in 1780 • How it is harmful – Blamed for up to 60% of recorded extinction of Island birds & reptiles