Interesting/Little Known introduced populations
- Thread starter birdsandbats
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Can you provide any evidence of this? I have never heard of Electric Eels being established in Florida.
Now this is very interesting indeed, I'd not heard of these either. A quick google reveals multiple references to them being introduced (including a webpage with a trail camera photograph of one taken in Madagascar), but no information on range, population or when they first arrived. Anyone have more information on these?
I'm sceptical. I have never seen anything else to say that Electric Eels are in Florida. The USGS database, for example, doesn't include the species.
Nonindigenous Aquatic Species
Article about invasive species :
Why We Should Rethink How We Talk About "Alien" Species | Science | Smithsonian
Why We Should Rethink How We Talk About "Alien" Species | Science | Smithsonian
Rhesus monkeys, Silver Spring - Florida :
Florida monkeys excreting rare disease that can kill humans, scientists warn
Florida monkeys excreting rare disease that can kill humans, scientists warn
While not directly introduced by humans, I think we could mention Golden jackal as an example of a species that currently increases its range explosivelly and it probably is indirectly caused by humans. By intensive agriculture, deforestation and eradication of wolves in large part of Europe, we have prepaired an ideal living niche for this species. And it decided to make use of it.
I think there has been confusion with Asian Swamp Eels (which like Electrics aren't eels either).
That was my initial suspicion as well, because I have seen articles about using electric fishing to control the Swamp Eels.
My suspicion was aroused by the the same word useage!
Bird of Paradise on Little Tobago ( think they have been discused already before on ZooChat ) :
http://news.softpedia.com/news/The-Bird-of-Paradise-Island-48383.shtml
http://news.softpedia.com/news/The-Bird-of-Paradise-Island-48383.shtml
The beginning of a population of Glossy ibisses in Ireland ?
Rare African birds ditch the sun in favour of Irish boglands
Rare African birds ditch the sun in favour of Irish boglands
While interesting, it don't match with the purpose of this thread, that is about introduced species
Doesn't it?
According to the article: "One theory as to why they are being spotted more often in Northern European countries is due to climate change - drier conditions in France, Spain and Portugal are pushing them northwards."
The overwhelming majority of experts agree climate change is anthropogenic. If we define introduced species as populations outside their native range as a result of human activity, you could argue these birds count (or may in the future).
I think you'll pull a muscle stretching like that
Quite apart from anything else, the main reason why species naturally expand their range is climate change, or factors arising from said. As such, defining all taxa whose ranges have expanded naturally as "introduced" is pushing the term beyond usefulness in my opinion. For instance, this line of reasoning would mean that Collared Dove - an south-central Asian species until the 20th century, when irruptions led to rapid colonisation of Europe - is an introduced species.
On a slightly different note, in the case of the ibis I suspect a decent case could be made that at least some of their northward expansion is recolonisation into formerly-native territory, given the fact that several other wetland birds such as Little Egret, Great Egret, Spoonbill and Common Crane have followed similar trends since the end of the Little Ice Age in the mid-19th century - a time period whose onset in the early 14th century does tally with the original loss of these species from northwestern Europe.
I think you'll pull a muscle stretching like that
Quite apart from anything else, the main reason why species naturally expand their range is climate change, or factors arising from said. As such, defining all taxa whose ranges have expanded naturally as "introduced" is pushing the term beyond usefulness in my opinion.
Aha, but you could make the same argument for any introduced species. Island endemics, for example: the main reason why terrestrial species naturally expand their range to oceanic islands is translocation. So, what's the difference between vegetation rafts, hitchhiking parasites, etc. and humans releasing rats, goats, and rabbits on the Galapagos?
The key point, I think, is the impact new arrivals have on existing communities not adapted to them. From that perspective, it doesn't matter whether the invader arrived on a cargo ship or warmer currents.
While interesting, it don't match with the purpose of this thread, that is about introduced species
Are they realy wild birds or maybe escapeds ? Glossy ibisses are kept in good numbers ( at least at mainland European collections ( both public and privat ) and the birds were observed first afther a heavy storm which could have destroyed - next to a lot of other things - also aviaries in which - for example - Glossy ibisses were kept. Would be intresting if ( some of ) the birds have rings....