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Related: Editorials & Other Articles, Issue Forums, Alliance Forums, Region ForumsTo save native island animals from extinction, eradicate the uninvited guests, study finds
In 1894, a pregnant house cat escaped from a lighthouse on Stephens Island, New Zealand. She had her kittens in the wild, where they went feral. Within 13 months, a native bird species known as the Stephen Islands wren was nearly extinct.
Its a story often cited as an extreme and by some accounts exaggerated example of the damage that invasive mammals can do to delicate island ecosystems. But the plot is hardly unusual. On islands where native species evolved with no natural predators, intruders like rodents, feral cats and goats can quickly outcompete or even eat the locals.
Islands are home to 15% of the worlds terrestrial species, but they represent 61% of recorded extinctions, experts say. Invasive species usually were a factor.
Now a new study is making the case for a tried-and-true method of staving off this island extinction crisis: Get rid of the invasive mammals.
http://www.latimes.com/science/sciencenow/la-sci-sn-protecing-island-animals-20160322-story.html
dixiegrrrrl
(60,010 posts)Australia famously screwed up also when they introduced rabbits:
European rabbits first arrived in Australia with the First Fleet in 1788, but they only became a pest after 24 wild rabbits were released for hunting near Geelong in Victoria 150 years ago.
"Rabbits were introduced as part of a broad attempt by early colonists to make Australia as much like Europe as they possibly could," says Greg Mutze, research officer at the Department of Water, Land and Biodiversity Conservation in South Australia.
"It was hoped that they would flourish so that the owners could hunt them."
Flourish they did. Rabbits spread throughout Victoria and by 1880 had crossed into New South Wales. In 1886 rabbits were spotted in South Australia and Queensland, and by 1890 were hopping across eastern Western Australia.
To prevent the rabbits' westward spread, the WA government finished building three rabbit-proof fences across the state in 1907. Unfortunately the fences were a flop because rabbits had already moved into the areas being fenced off.
By the 1920s, Australia's rabbit population had swelled to 10 billion.
Baitball Blogger
(46,574 posts)I know we have issues with brown anole lizards. Green are native. But I can't bring myself to killing the brown ones. Same thing with the cuban white frogs.
tabasco
(22,974 posts)That's the population that needs to be brought under control.
jpak
(41,741 posts)I've visited Kapiti island and observed nearly the entire populations of several endangered species at feeding stations.
Exciting and sad at the same time...