Invasive Species

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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