Invasive Species

Invasive Rabbits Change the Soil so Drastically you Can See the Effects Decades Later

Remote French islands in the Indian Ocean have a bunny problem

Ten years on, some of the scars that Katrina tore into coastal ecosystems persist, while others have healed. NASA's Landsat 8 satellite captured this image of the swamps and marshes that buffer New Orleans in August 2015.

How Hurricane Katrina Redrew the Gulf Coast

While storms here are nothing new, human influence helped Katrina make Louisiana’s ecological problems worse

Jumping worms are becoming more common in Wisconsin. This photo shows what is likely an Amynthas agrestis jumping worm in Pennsylvania, though its identification is unconfirmed.

Jumping Worms Have Invaded Wisconsin

A wriggling worm is becoming a problem in the Midwest

Pet goldfish in a tank, where it belongs

Pet Goldfish Released into the Wild Are Getting Really Huge

Monster goldfish are trouble for native fish

An emerald ash borer, the problem the wasp is supposed to address

Colorado Hopes This Asian Wasp Can Save its Trees

Researchers are hoping to use one non-native species to fight another, more destructive one

Hammerhead sharks off the coast of Cocos Island, Costa Rica. The island is known for its incredible terrain and marine life, and is said to be the inspiration for Isla Nublar, the place Michael Crichton created as the setting for Jurassic Park—and now Jurassic World.

Where to Visit the Real Jurassic World After You See the Film

The movie's filming locations and inspiration offer lush vegetation, stunning views and plenty of sharks

Colorado Lake Teems with Feral Goldfish

Parks and Wildlife thinks a goldfish owner dumped his pets into a local lake. Now a few years later, the fish swarm the water in thousands

The Children’s Book That Caused Japan’s Raccoon Problem

When the story of one man’s childhood pet raccoon became a hit in 1970s Japan, it heralded a biological invasion still troubling the country today

The tropical fire ant is the first known ant to travel the world by sea.

How 16th Century Trade Made Fire Ants an Early Global Invader

By inadvertently stowing away in Spanish ships, one pesky little insect quickly spread throughout much of the world

A yellow crazy ant

Invasive, Acid-Spraying Ants in Hawaii Are Deforming Native Seabird Chicks

The ground-dwelling chicks are pestered by invasive ants spraying acid

A wallaby in the mist on the Irish island of Lambay.

What the Heck Are Wallabies Doing in Ireland?

Normally spotted in Australia, the marsupial species is thriving on a remote island off the Irish coast

An Espanola Galapagos giant tortoise under an arboreal prickly pear cactus. The cactus is a vital part of the tortoise's diet, but the surrounding woody plants - a leftover problem caused by goats - prevent the cactuses from regrowing.

Giant Tortoises Have Made a Comeback From 15 to 1,000

Española giant tortoises have been reintroduced to Galapagos National Park and are breeding on their own

Invaders From Cuba Force Florida Lizards to Quickly Evolve (Or Get Out)

In just 15 years, green anoles changed their behavior and evolved bigger, stickier toes to escape alien competitors

Scientists Plan to Kill Off the American West's Tumbleweeds

Two species of fungus from Russia could be the bane of America's tumbleweed

America’s Tumbleweeds Are Actually Russian Invaders

Some say the tumbleweed's takeover of the American West was the most aggressive weed invasion in our country's history

People Really Need to Stop Bringing Giant African Land Snails Into the US

Sixty-seven baseball-sized giant African land snails were confiscated at the Los Angeles International Airport

Rabbits around old military facilities on Okunoshima.

This Once-Secret Island Now Hosts Hordes of Adorable Bunnies

Now home to hundreds of semi-tame bunnies, the island once housed poison gas facilities

An oil tanker makes its way to Valdez, Alaska. The Arctic’s rich stores of oil and natural gas make it an attractive destination for future voyages.

Arctic Shipping: Good For Invasive Species, Bad For the Rest of Nature

A pair of Smithsonian marine biologists argue that a warming Arctic puts the area at risk for inviting invasive species

So with Turkestan roaches and Japanese roaches now calling North America home, how many cockroaches do we now have to worry about?

How Many Species of Cockroaches Plague Humanity?

There are 4,500 species of cockroaches in the world, but just 30 are considered pests

Unknown in the Americas 30 years ago, lionfish have multiplied at a rate that is almost unheard of in marine history.

Invasion of the Lionfish

Voracious, venomous lionfish are the first exotic species to invade coral reefs. Now divers, fishermen—and cooks—are fighting back

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