KILLER ALIENS

IN FLORIDA

Content

Introduction to Florida

Florida’s Issue

Florida’s Wild Future

Native Species in Florida

What is an invasive species?

What is a non-native species?

How do non-native species get to Florida?

Most Common non-native species

References

Videos

HELP!!

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Florida

Florida is a state located in the South Eastern

United States. It borders Alabama to the northwest and Georgia to the north. Much of the state's land mass is a large peninsula with the Gulf of

Mexico to the west, the Atlantic Ocean to the east and the Caribbean to the south.

Florida has the longest coastline in the contiguous United States. Florida is nicknamed the "Sunshine State" because of its generally

warm climate—subtropical in the northern and central regions of the state, with a true tropical climate in the southern portion.

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Florida’s Issue

The Florida Everglades and other marshland areas within the state, are home to an impressive array of American wildlife. Because of the state's rapid economic growth, these ecosystems have been increasingly threatened. Floridians however, are not entirely responsible for putting a good number of native-species on the endangered list. The uniqueness of the state as a high traffic area for tourists and trade, combined with the area's tropical climate, has made it able to support many different types of fauna and flora, in particular, species that are not native to the area. The trade in exotic pets, as well as the movement of people, and vehicles internationally can intentionally or unintentionally bring new species into Florida. Introduced species can cause disasters that one would never have foreseen. They can devastate farms and forests, impede waterways, affect human health, and invade natural areas and replace native species.

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Florida’s Wild Future

"Fatal Attraction: Pets that Kill their Owners”

“Burmese Pythons on the loose”

“Red Lionfish – a new menace in Florida Keys ”

“Exotic Death Toll Rises”

“Mysterious illness spreads among dogs”HOME

Native Species in Florida

Florida is host to many types of wildlife including:Marine MammalsReptiles

Mammals

Birds

Invertebrates HOME

Marine Mammals

West Indian Manatee

Bottlenose Dolphins

Short-finned Pilot Whale

North Atlantic Right Whale

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Reptiles

Pygmy Rattlesnakes Eastern

DiamondbackAmerican Alligator and Crocodile

Gopher Tortoise

Leatherback Sea Turtles

Eastern Indigo Snake

Mammals

Florida panther

Mink Bobcat

Eastern Cottontail Rabbit

Squirrel

White-tailed deer

Coyote

Florida black bear

Striped SkunkNine-banded

ArmadillosNorthern River Otter

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Birds

Sea Gull Northern Caracara

Florida Scrub Jay

Whooping

Bald Eagle

Osprey Snail Kite

Roseate Spoonbill

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Invertebrates

Carpenter Ants

American cockroach

Termites

c

What is an invasive species? Invasive alien species are plants, animals,

or other organisms that are introduced to a given area outside their original range and cause harm in their new home. Because they have no natural enemies to limit their reproduction, they usually spread rampantly. Invasive alien species are recognized as one of the leading threats to biodiversity and impose enormous costs to agriculture, forestry, fisheries, and other human enterprises, as well as to human health.

The cost to control invasive species and the damages they inflict upon property and natural resources in the U.S. is estimated at $137 billion annually.

One exotic insect, the hemlock woolly adelgid, has killed 80% of hemlocks in Shenandoah National Park in the past few years.

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What is a Non-Native species?

Non-native species are animals living outside captivity that did not historically occur in Florida.  Over 500 non-native fish and wildlife species and 1180 non-native plant species have been documented in the state. 

Most non-natives are introduced species, meaning they have been brought to Florida by humans.  A few of Florida's exotics arrived by natural range expansions, like cattle egrets, which are native to Africa and Asia but flew across the Atlantic Ocean and arrived in Florida in the 1950s.  Several common non-native species, like coyotes, armadillos and red foxes, were not only introduced by humans but also spread into Florida by natural range expansions.

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How do Non-Native Species get to Florida?

World travel, the Internet, and

international mail are among the many pathways that have made it possible for exotic species from all over the globe to find their way to our state. Sometimes exotics are brought here intentionally, and sometimes they hitchhike along with unknowing travellers.

However, the greatest pathway by which non-native fish and wildlife species find their way into Florida's habitats is through escape or release by pet owners.

A python caught in the streets of Florida

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Most Common Non-Native Species

Cuban Tree Frog

African Cichlid Fish

Gambian Pouch Rat

Burmese Python

Purple Swamphen

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Fatal Attractions: Pets that kill their Owners.

Florida has been prominently featured on two television shows about the serious problems associated with exotic pet ownership. "Fatal Attraction: Pets that Kill their Owners," a three-part series airing on Sunday nights, highlights attacks on humans by wild animals kept as pets including the massive pythons and Nile Monitor lizards found in Florida.

"Killer Aliens" aired on March 14. This 2-hour documentary starred exotic pets loose in the Keys including our ever-popular pythons and the giant African rodents called Gambian Pouch Rats.

The Sunshine State is being overrun by lethal Burmese pythons, feral hogs, voracious Nile monitor lizards, and Gambian rats the size of cats.

The Killer Aliens are all non-native, and therefore alien species, have been imported by humans and in most cases is a direct result of peoples' obsession with having exotic animals as pets. When these creatures grow up and

become too much to handle, all to often they are disposed

of irresponsibly into forests,

swamps and even backyards, leading to

lasting and in some cases dangerous consequences.

These invasive creatures are able to compete too well with native species for food and habitat, which is of particular concern for animals that are already endangered such as the Key Largo wood rat.

Burmese Pythons on the loose

These Burmese Pythons snakes were seen in the long grass along the side of a road near the Marco Island Executive Airport. They were not in anyone’s backyard. However, a 9-foot long Burmese Python was discovered by a landscaping crew behind a house on Marco Island. The huge snake was slow-moving and lethargic, so the landscapers were able to keep an eye on it while awaiting the police and an experienced trapper. The snake was netted and taken off-island by the Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission (FWC). A spokesperson for the FWC stated that as many as 3 or 4 Burmese Pythons were being trapped each week on Marco Island and in the surrounding areas. There is no doubt that these giant non-native reptiles can survive year-round in Florida, even when we have a winter with record-breaking cold. And unless someone is dumping their pets on Marco, the pythons are swimming to the islands from the mainland of South Florida.

Wildlife officials in the Keys are educating residents on the identification and safe capture of this venomous fish. Divers, fishermen, and researchers use needle-proof gloves and aquarium nets to capture as many lionfish as possible. Trained workers with special permits have already removed 40 of the invaders from the Florida Keys National Marine Sanctuary, home to the world’s third largest barrier reef.

Red Lionfish – a menace in Florida Keys

When the first escaped Lionfish was spotted off the coast of Miami in 1985, environmentalists in the Keys became concerned. They knew it was only a matter of time before the invader fish migrated in their direction, threatening Keys marine life, especially the vulnerable coral reefs.

Native to the Pacific and Indian Oceans, the Red Lionfish has been a popular aquarium pet in the U.S. Pet owners disillusioned when their lionfish either outgrows the fish tank or stings someone with its venomous, needle-like fins sometimes decide to (illegally) dump this beautiful fish in the ocean.

The Red Lionfish feeds on the reef-cleaning species of marine life, which results in damage to the coral reefs. These big, hungry fish will eat Florida’s native fish and outcompete them for food.

Exotic Death Toll Rises

State wildlife officials are estimating that the prolonged low temperatures Florida experienced last month have significantly reduced the populations of exotic species.

The Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission has received enough reports from the field to estimate that around half of the Burmese Pythons in the Everglades have died, and more than half of the Green Iguana population is no more. So many thousands of exotic freshwater fish have been seen floating to the tops of rivers and lakes that the numbers are inestimable.

Anecdotal reports indicate that the nuisance exotic species have not been eliminated, as hardy survivors continue to be spotted around the southern part of the state.

However, the mounting death toll is a good indication that South Florida may not allow for the uninterrupted proliferation of tropical plants and animals. Nature will play a role, stepping in now and again to curtail out of control growth in invasive species.

The populations reduced but not eradicated!

Mysterious Illness spreads among Dogs

Some dogs in the South Florida area are suffering from a strange and debilitating illness. So far, at least a dozen canines have been seen by local veterinarians after the pets exhibited sudden weakness in the hind legs, followed by paralysis. One dog has died from the unidentified illness.

A local television station reported that toxins in the dead bodies of iguanas may be poisoning curious dogs. After last month’s persistent cold fronts, many cold-intolerant iguanas have died in South Florida. Decomposing iguana bodies can be found in suburban yards and neighbourhood parks, and dogs do have the tendency to investigate with their muzzles.

Research will have to be conducted to see if the decomposing animals are indeed exuding bacteria harmful to other animals. In the meantime, local veterinarians are advising pet owners to keep their dogs on a short leash and remove any dead wildlife from their yards.

There are other ways you can help as well.• Check boat trailers, boat hulls and propellers.• Rinse and remove aquatic plants or invertebrate hitchhikers such as snails.• Don't dump aquarium contents in lakes, channels or other water bodies.• Replace invasive and other non-native plants in your yard with native species.• Make sure produce bought and delivered through the mail is from reputable companies that have their shipments inspected.• Have houseplants brought into the state inspected for potential pests, either by another state's agriculture department or at a Florida Department of Agriculture and Consumer Services inspection station.  • This is required by law and violations can be as high as $5000.

HELP!!

The best way to help prevent new introductions of exotic species into Florida is to be a responsible pet owner. Many pets are deceptively small at the time of purchase, and people may not be prepared to care for them when they grow to their full adult size. Often people move and feel that taking their pet with them is too much of a hassle or they become bored with their pets. It may seem kind to release a pet into the wild, thus setting it free, but this can be detrimental to the animal and the environment.

Pet owners may not realize that a released pet will more than likely die without care from its owner. But not all will die, and those that survive have the potential to become invasive, meaning they can take over habitats and displace native fish and wildlife species.

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Videos

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=drcuFxJQeV4

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=fXP9Qoop6Ko

http://animal.discovery.com/videos/killer-aliens/

http://news.nationalgeographic.com/news/2005/10/1028_051028_pythons.html

http://www.floridainvasives.org/toolbox/FloridaInvaders.pdf

http://www.tigerhomes.org/animal/florida-everglades.cfm

http://www.nwf.org/Wildlife/Wild-Places/Everglades.aspx

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References

Animal Planet National Geographic Bird’s Nest Forum CNN News BCC News www.iguanainvasion.com www.myfcw.com en.wikipedia.org

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