Scaryus eatumupis
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Over past 200 years, several
thousand foreign plant & animal
species have become established in
the US!
1 in 7 has become INVASIVE
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Push aside native species
Harm human health and the
environment
Reduce productivity & ecological
balance
Where do they come from??
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Enter the United States by:
• Cower in crates
• Snuggle in ships
• Hide inside fruits, vegetables, & meats
• Carried on clothing
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“Hitchhiking Pests and Diseases”
Where did it Come From?
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1869: a French Monk brought some
Gypsy Moths to the U.S. to
experiment with them. Some
escaped.
1993: a ship docked in North
Carolina, opened its cargo hold, and
dozens of Gypsy Moths were
released.
Discussion Time!
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Red Fish go to corner #1.
Seahorse go to corner #2.
Shark go to corner #3.
Manta Ray go to corner #4.
How could you have stopped the spread of
the moths?
Would you have warned anyone about
their release?
Where did it Invade?
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The first Gypsy Moths invaded
Massachusetts and now reside in 15
states.
1993: invasion originated in NC and
has spread through the South
Eastern U.S.
Niche?
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4 stages of life: egg, larva (caterpillar),
pupa, adult.
Eat leaves and spends its day foraging for
food.
It has no known predators in the U.S.
Talk to your table: If there are no
predators in the US, do you think they
have predators in other countries? Why?
What animals can you think of?
Effect on Environment It Invaded
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Current U.S. Gypsy Moth population could
eat all of the leaves on 13 million acres of
trees in 1 season.
How could this be a devastating effect on
the forest ecosystem? Talk to your table.
Caterpillars crawl on homes and fall in
pools making outdoor activities hard to
enjoy.
Where did it invade?
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1984: European cargo ship was
emptied in Lake Huron. It
accidentally let loose the water flea
that was trapped inside.
1987: it could be found in all five
Great Lakes.
Niche?
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Reproduce rapidly =10 babies every 2
weeks
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Lay eggs in winter & hatch in summer
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Eat plankton
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Predators cannot eat the flea because the
barbs on its tail choke the fish
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Crustacean
Effect on the Environment it
Invaded?
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The threat posed by the flea is not
completely understood
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High reproductive rate
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Devour native plankton
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What do you think the loss of plankton
means to the environment? Talk to your
table.
Damage to lake’s ecosystem causing harm
to other species in the food chain.
Where is It From?
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Nutria are native to Argentina,
Bolivia, Chile, Paraguay, and
Uruguay.
1899: Brought to US to be used in
the fur trade
Where Did It Invade?
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1930: nutria were released on an
island in Louisiana to start a
commercial breeding farm. Several
animals escaped.
Spread throughout the Southern U.S
Can be found throughout the entire
U.S
Niche?
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Live in streams, lakes, ponds, and
swamps
Eat both water and land plants.
 Reproduce rapidly
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Swim and have buck teeth like
beavers
Hosts for many parasites
Effect on Environment It Invaded
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Eat all the plants and leave nothing but
mud
Native species have nothing to eat
Eat agricultural crops like cabbage and
lettuce
Host many parasites and pass parasites to
native wildlife and humans leading to
outbreaks of disease!
Discussion Time!
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Talk to your table: How do you feel
about this? Talk about your feelings
both positive and negative so far
about non-native species.
Where Is It From?
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Native to the Sahara in East Africa
1966: a boy smuggled 3 African
snails into the U.S. as pets
Where did it Invade?
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Miami, Florida: His grandmother
eventually released the snails into
her garden.
7 years later more than 180,000
snails were found in Florida.
It took the state of Florida 10 years
and over $1 million to get rid of
these pests!
Talk to your table!
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From this example, is it easy for just
one person to introduce a new
species to a new environment?
Niche?
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Much larger than native snails and
therefore out competes them
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Hibernate to survive the cold months
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Reproduces fast = 1,200 eggs per year!
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It eats 500 types of plants
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Host for many parasites
Effect on Environment it Invaded
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Can pass on diseases to humans and
wildlife
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Lives a long time (9 years)
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It can out-compete native snails for food
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Eats melons and papaya
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Hibernates = can survive almost anywhere
in the U.S.
Discussion Time!
Each table: person whose first name
is the longest go to corner #1
 Person whose first name is the next
longest got to corner #2
 Person whose first name is the next
longest go to corner #3
 Remaining person go to corner #4
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Question
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What have you learned so far about
non-native species? Be prepared to
share with the class!
Where Did It Invade
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Invaded the island of Guam (a U.S.
territory)!
Since WW II, the snake has taken
over almost all of the island!
There are as many as 12,000 snakes
per mile on Guam!!
Where Is It From?
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The Brown Tree Snake is native to
Australia.
It was brought over concealed in a
WW II military transport plane.
Niche?
Mildly venomous and kills its prey by
injecting venom.
 Very good climber as it forages for
food and water.
 Nocturnal
 Eats lizards, birds, and small
mammals.
 Lays 12 eggs at a time 2 times each
year
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Effect on Environment it Invaded
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Too late to save Guam’s wildlife from the snake.
It has decimated the native population of birds,
mammals, and amphibians.
Climb along electric wires causing power outages
every 6 days!
Raid homes killing pet birds!
Reached carrying capacity on Guam and are
searching out habitat elsewhere!
Climbed aboard ships and made it to Hawaii 6
times. (Luckily they were caught…it would only
take one pregnant female…….)
What a great movie this would make!
Time to talk!
Corner #1: Whose birthday month
comes first at your table!
 Corner #2: Whose birthday month
comes second!
 Corner #3: Whose birthday month
comes third!
 Corner#4: Whose birthday month
comes last!
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Discuss!
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Why do you think people bring nonnative species into other countries?
Do you think they really know the
consequences?
What can you do to help?