Disturbing---This is exactly why you dont dump pets....

Finding burmese pythons and green anacondas in the everglades?

:shakes head:

http://www.southalley.com/snakes_exotic.html

...since I cant edit my post....


Look how big that thing is. Burmese pythons and green anacondas have to be wreaking havoc on the indiginous animals down there. I bet the python has acquired quite the taste for opossum and racoon though, and I bet those anacondas have enjoyed the gator...

Yeah, I've seen them being caught out of ponds and stuff on animal planet shows. It's disturbing

This has unfortunately been going on for some time. I first heard of the pythons about 2 yrs ago. Back in the late 70's, OMNI magazine published a story about cobra sightings down there, apparently there was an exotics dealer near there that was smuggling cocaine in with the hots! And a lot of the animals were released,before he was busted. Don't know how much of that story is true though :shrugs:

Unfortunately people seem to have no idea, or just don't care about the effects of introducing foreign species...

Its been going on for as long as people have been travelling.

We have rats that have hopped rides on ships all over the world.

Brown tree snakes hitching rides in planes and devastating the bird population in Guam.

Pigs and other animals introduced by farmers...that doesn't sound like a biggy but feral pigs are doing huge ecological damage in countries like Australia.

Other animals introduced to help control species - such as the Cain toad debacle, also in Australia.

There's loads more, I could go on for pages. Most of the above have happened due to a lack of knowledge or foresight, but we keep doing it, and in the case of releasing pets people are doing it deliberately.

Grrrrrr :angry01:

Anyway, will get off my soapbox know - its a pet peeve of mine, could you tell? lol

StubbyUK

Yeah Stubby, I'm Aussie, so watch out if I get on my soap-box about all the f-ing non-native animals messing up Australia's ecosystem...apparently we have more wild camels than the middle east...that's ridiculous.

Horses, donkeys, pigs, camels, goats, cats, dogs, rabbits, foxes, rats, mice, etc, ad nauseum....And 2/3 of all species pressent at the time of European settlement extinct or endangered...it's sad...and it's not just Australia that has the problem...hey, that almost qualifies as a soap-box stint!!!

I was just watching a show on PBS last night "Strange Days on Planet Earth" very humbling to think that we're causing the downfall of our own planet and don't give enough of a damn to change things. Pretty interesting series if you can find it on tv or maybe rent it from your local library.

Last night's episode was about water pollution run amuk and non-native species (goes along with the Discover article about non-natives, as well).

And I read on CNN.com where Australia is going to corral thousands of camels and eliminate them. I'll bet that just gave ammunition to PETA. I really don't care about camels much, from what I've read and seen they're overgrazing things entirely too much in an already parched landscape. But I still can't believe there are more than the middle east, but then again Australia is bigger than most people realize. But all of the arrogance that the original English people brought is just depressing enough. Rats and mice, rabbits, foxes, feral cats, am I missing anything?

Hawaii and the Galapagos are also at risk, although I believe on the Galapagos last year they rounded up thousands of wild goats and exterminated them all because they were over-grazing the areas.

All I can say is, more power to them. We screwed up and brought invaders with us, and we can do the dirty work and clean it up. Just like the thousands of Japanese beetles and smoosh every year. Muahaha. :crazy02:

...if you want me to keep ranting....

European wasps that are aggressive and out compete the harmless (end ecologically important) native honey bees, cane toads which run the show up in queensland, a whole lot of cralwies and bities come into the country inadvertantly every year...I found an Indonesian gecko in my parents back yard last summer...and they're in melbourne!

Short of balistically destroying the planet, Mother Nature has a way of eliminating those things most harmful to the planet. When the day comes that Man has become such a scourge on the planet that it cannot be maintained anymore we will simpy be eliminated, or eliminate ourselves. I'm not suggesting that nothing be done, but I take a great feeling of justice knowing that we have two choices: We live in harmony with our planet without stamping our the fires of others, or we don't..and die.

My husband is from OZ, and we lived there for about a year before coming back to the states (in Queensland). Although we lived in a big city (Brisbane), it was horrible driving up north--cane toads everywhere!! Our friends have an 8000 acre farm that was being devistated by the feral pigs, and don't get me started on the rabbits and cats!! I won't jump on a box, but it's amazing the havoc that non indigenous(?) can cause to an ecosystem!!

You are so right Arson. The only reason that we should be "saving the planet" is to insure OUR survival. The planet will continue and life of some kind will continue. Nature has killed off far more species at one time (look at the dinasours) then we'll ever accomplish, and is still kicking! Vive la planet!

ditto.... the earth takes care of herself.....
Note the fact that so many natural desasters hit the overpopulated areas of earth? if that not natural culling i dont know what is

luvofthechase said:

ditto.... the earth takes care of herself.....
Note the fact that so many natural desasters hit the overpopulated areas of earth? if that not natural culling i dont know what is

Click to expand...

Agh, I think they happen where they happen and population doesn't have much to do with it.

Look at the Tunguska event in 1908 that happened over one of the Eurasian meta-continent's least populated places. If that had happened around a hub ara like New York or Paris at the same time...there would be no more New York or Paris period.

to add....I think the fact that they often happen in populated areas is just testiment to the fact that we homo spaiens populate much of the planet and the events that 'rock' these populated areas are more likely to make the news. Asteroid showers hit central Australia all the time but they don't really make the news because there's not a lot out there, if one hit a costal area where most of Australias population is....you'd hear about it!

here's a good link


http://www.s-d-g.freeserve.co.uk/tunguska.html