INVASIVE INQUISITION

Invasive Vertebrates

100

These are highly destructive predators, killing billions of birds and small mammals annually.

Feral cats (Felis catus)

200

This rhyming species has spread globally due to its association with humans (dorks). 

House mouse (Mus musculus)

300

This species has introductions around Ocala and the Keys in Florida, pose health risks such as Herpes type B, and are also known as "crab-eating".

Long-tailed macaques (Macaca fascicularis)

400

These are large semi-aquatic rodents that erode riverbanks, dikes, and golf courses in coastal areas.

Nutria (Myocastor coypus)

US Species on Vacation

100

This species was introduced to Australia in the 1920's for timber plantations.

Slash pine (Pinus elliottii)

200

This species is invasive in 40 plus countries and four continents (North and South America, Europe, and Asia). They outcompete native amphibians and the females can lay as many as 20,000 eggs at a time. 

American bullfrog (Lithobates catesbeianus)

300

Germany has the largest population of this species in Europe and a popular 70's cartoon resulted more than 1,500 of these being imported into Japan.

Raccoon (Procyon lotor)

400

This species was introduced to Hawaii and other Pacific Islands to control the giant African land snail.

Rosy Wolfsnail (Euglandina rosea)

Longleaf Pests

100

This species was introduced as packing material and is still used as an ornamental plant in the western US.

Cogon grass (Imperata cylindrica)

200

These can be up to three feet tall, males are larger than the females, and can attack up to 400 longleaf pine seedlings per day.

Feral hogs (Sus scrofa)

300

These species were inadvertently introduced from South America through the port of Mobile. There are two colors.

Red and Black Imported Fire Ants (Solenopsis invicta and richteri)

400

This tree species was thought to have been first introduced by Benjamin Franklin as an ornamental. 

Chinese Tallow Tree (Triadica sebifera)

Nerd Alert

100

The scientific name for this species is Cinnamomum camphora.

Camphortree

200

The scientific name for this species is Lygodium japonicum.

Japanese climbing fern.

300

Melaleuca quinquenervia has another name related to a type of music.

Punktree.

400

This is the common name of Schinus terebinthifolia belonging to the cashew family and is related to poison ivy.

Brazilian pepper tree.