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Invasion of the Toads Causes Havoc Down Under
Australia has a huge toad problem, and it's growing. Over 200 million Cane Toads live there, and they're eating helpful insects and even small birds. The toads are not originally from Australia and they've become unwelcome guests.
The problem began with cane beetles. Seventy years ago, sugar cane fields in Australia were being destroyed by the beetles. So, farmers brought the cane toad from Hawaii in order to eat the beetles. It turned out to be an incredibly BAD idea!
The toads started eating more than just the beetles and have spread beyond the cane fields. Because there are no natural predators to eat these poisonous toads, they are growing out of control!
The toads are a great example of an invasive species. Invasive species are animals and plants that are introduced by humans into an area they normally wouldn't live in. For instance, in the Southern United States, a vine called Kudzu is growing over trees and sometimes even over houses! Kudzu was brought from Japan for people to put in their gardens. Kudzu can grow a foot a day and now covers over seven million acres.
Biologists are always trying to find new ways to control invasive species. In Florida, they are training Beagles to catch Burmese Pythons that have started to spread in Everglades National Park. These giant snakes often started life as pets, but were released into the swamp when they got too big to keep.
I'm Adelbert and that's what happened in science this week!
Invasive species are a problem around the world! Let's play the Match Game and try to identify some of them.
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