Invasive species have become a big problem in the state of Florida. Even though some of these animals are pretty cool to see, they are detrimental to Florida’s ecosystems.
One of the most common invasive species that we have seen so far around the Keys is the green iguana.
The green iguana, originally from Central America, some tropical parts of South America, and some Caribbean islands, got to Florida sometime during the 1960s when they found their way onto cargo ships. Since then they have rapidly reproduced, establishing populations all over central and south Florida.
Green iguanas are terrible for the environment and infrastructure. They are herbivores and they are attracted to vegetables, and trees with flowers or fruits. This has caused them to be seen as a nuisance by many landowners. They also eat important plants such as the endangered Miami Blue Butterfly's host plant, nickerbean. As for infrastructure, green iguanas can dig burrows that can lead to collapsing or eroded sidewalks, seawalls, foundations, and other structures. Finally, they leave droppings all over the place which can lead to the transmission of salmonella.
Even though the green iguanas are really awesome animals, and are really cool to see walking around, they cause some serious damage to Florida ecosystems. Sadly, it has gotten to the point where Florida state law permits people to humanely catch and kill green iguanas on their property. They are also on the prohibited species list and are no longer allowed to be kept as pets.
Although the iguanas are pretty common to see, they are not the only invasive species found around Florida. Some other examples are Burmese pythons, feral hogs, lionfish, hydrilla, lygodium, and fire ants.
All of these species cause major issues in Florida’s ecosystems. They come about in various ways, Burmese pythons for example became invasive after people had them as exotic pets and released them into the wild.
Basically, as cool as it was to see the green iguana, and as cool as it might be to see other exotic species, they definitely do not belong here. They are really damaging to the environment and cause a lot of issues for residents of Florida.
#invasivespecies #greeniguana #burmesepython
Hi Amanda,
ReplyDeleteI never knew how iguanas are bad for Florida, I only knew they were invasive and bad for the environment. I know they found the world's largest python in the Everglades a few weeks ago, and they're depleting the deer population.
Hey Amanda,
ReplyDeleteI know all these animals are a major threat to the ecosystem but sometimes it's had to see these cool and/or cute animals as being bad. I was so excited when I got the see the iguanas during the trip. And I find it sad to think anyone can just kill them when they seen them. I know I could never personally do that. Same with the lionfish; I think it is such an interesting and pretty fish yet its causing so much damage. These are also supposed to be killed on sight. While it's sometimes sad to think about killing/removing these invasive animals it is also importing to think about all the other native species we are saving by restoring natural order back to the ecosystem.