Peter Dykstra: American Invasive Species Hall of Fame, part 2

Five more flora and fauna that have left their mark.

Sequels are rarely as good as the original. But here are five more invasive species for the American Invasive Species Hall of Fame.

You can see last week’s first five here.

Burmese Python (Python bivittatus) 

A native of Southeast Asia and one of the world’s largest snake species, the pythons became a hot (and legal) item in the pet trade in the mid-1990’s. When South Florida snake lovers realized their fully sized python could be 12 feet long and 200 pounds or more, pet owners took what they thought was the merciful course of releasing the snakes to the friendly habitat of the Everglades.

With no predators and a ready diet of rodents, livestock, birds, and possibly even a rare Florida panther, the Burmese python installed itself at the top of the Everglades food chain. The U.S. finally outlawed import of the pythons in 2012.

Record-setting Everglades pythons have topped 18 feet and 400 pounds. They’ve been found well north of the Glades and along the Florida Panhandle. Despite well-organized python “roundups” the snakes are probably permanent residents of Florida.

Zebra mussels (Dreissena polymorpha)

First detected in North America in Michigan’s Lake St.Clair in 1988, the thumbnail-sized shellfish is presumed to have hitched a ride in a ship’s ballast from its Caspian Sea home.

Zebra mussels prefer fast-moving water, and often cluster at intake pipes for factories, power plants, or municipal water works.

Once established, zebra mussels are tough to remove. Constant inspections are needed to avoid water intake shutdowns due to clogged pipes. Thoroughly established in the Great Lakes region, zebra mussels are pushing westward in rivers and streams. They’ve also conquered portions of the Ohio and Tennessee river systems.

Asian carp (Hypophthalmichthys molitrix and several other subspecies)

asian carp

Juvenile Asian carp are sensitive to loud noises. An outboard engine will send the fish into a frenzy, breaching as much as 10 feet out of the water.

Credit: Invasive Carp Regional Coordinating Committee

In the generally un-funny world of invasives, Asian carp can provide a little comic relief.

Mainstays in some home aquaria, Asian carp can outgrow their welcome, with a maximum of almost 20 pounds. Released by aquarium owners into rivers and streams, the carp quickly rose to the top of the food chains in sections of the Mississippi and Illinois river systems, where they quickly outcompeted native species for grasses and plankton.

Also, an Arkansas fish farm brought in carp during the 1970’s to help clean algae from their tanks. When the job was done, the carp were released to the wild.

Did I say they were funny? Funny how?

Juvenile carp are sensitive to loud noises. An outboard engine will send the fish into a frenzy, breaching as much as 10 feet out of the water.

The longtime anglers’ prayer that fish will literally jump into your boat can come true with Asian carp.

There’s a concerted effort to keep the carp from overtaking the Great Lakes' sizable commercial fishery.

Hemlock Woolly Adelgid  (Adelges tsugae)

First noticed near Richmond, Virginia, in the 1950’s, this tiny ball of white fur has a ravenous appetite for the sap of the Eastern Hemlock.

Over the next few decades, the adelgid’s range reached the hemlock stands of the Appalachians. Stately trees died from the crowns on down, with understories taking the hit as well. Streams once kept cool by the shade of the giant trees now cooked.

Eastern hemlocks range from Georgia to Maine and Nova Scotia, and west to Wisconsin. The adelgid hasn’t quite caught up yet, but with no practical defenses, natural or manmade, they’re on the way.

Brown Tree Snake  (Boiga irregularis)

Amid the death and sorrow of World War II, there was a constant commerce of just about everything to just about every corner of the Pacific. It’s probably how the brown tree snake hitched a ride on cargo ships from its home in Indonesia to Guam.

Related: American Invasive Species Hall of Fame, part 1

With no natural predators, brown tree snakes had a field day. Even iconic species like the flightless Guam rail disappeared.

When the last eggs were gone the snakes had little trouble finding more food. They covered the island. Their four-foot bodies stretched from one powerline to the next. The island’s power grid ran on a World War II surplus generator. Every couple of weeks, brown tree snakes shorted out Guam’s power.

In addition to overrunning Guam, brown tree snakes are semi-aquatic and mildly venomous. There are a few reported cases of snakebites on the toilet.

Honorable mentions

Our readers kicked in a few suggestions of their own.

Norway hemlock and Norway rats; feral hogs and feral housecats; mesquite, quagga mussels; Asian longhorn beetles; emerald ash borers; mitten crabs and snails (giant and rosy wolf).

But consider this: several folks pointed out that with an unparalleled record of destroying oceans, forests, skies, and more, one species is easily the most destructive and disruptive.

Us.

Contact Peter Dykstra at @pdykstra or pdykstra@ehs.org if you have suggestions for future invasive icons.

.Dykstra is our weekend editor and columnist. His views do not necessarily represent those of Environmental Health News, The Daily Climate, or publisher Environmental Health Sciences.


International Courts to rule on climate obligations
photo: Vince Reinhart/Flickr/Commercial use & mods allowed/Artwork by Nissa Tzun/

Three international courts could soon rule on the obligations of nations in responding to climate change

The rulings, while legally non-binding, could still carry significant moral and legal weight. A group of 18 climate-vulnerable nations are seeking an opinion from the “World Court,” with support from 117 other countries.

Senator Whitehouse & climate change

Senator Whitehouse puts climate change on budget committee’s agenda

For more than a decade, Senator Sheldon Whitehouse gave daily warnings about the mounting threat of climate change. Now he has a powerful new perch.
hauling water children
Photo by Gyan Shahane on Unsplash

U.N. warns of water wars as 2 billion people lack clean water

A new report by the United Nations warns that a quarter of humanity lacks access to safe drinking water, and nearly half of the global population has no access to basic sanitation. Unless action is taken, 60% of the world’s population could face water supply issues by 2050.

tornado warning systems deficiencies
NOAA Photo Library/Flickr/Commercial use & mods allowed

Rolling Fork residents say they didn't hear any tornado warning sirens

Many Rolling Fork residents say they didn't hear sirens before the Mississippi tornado. Questions now remain about warning systems in poor, rural communities.
sea creatures are washing up dead
Michael Coghlan/Flickr/Commercial use & mods allowed

Why sea creatures are washing up dead around the world

From Florida to New Zealand, algal blooms, warming seas and human activities are threatening aquatic species.
EU chiefs use private jets
Photo by Chris Leipelt on Unsplash

EU chiefs flew to UN climate talks in private jet

European Council President Charles Michel hopped on a private jet for 72 of 112 official trips.
Puerto Ricans bracing for blackouts
Photo by Karl Callwood on Unsplash

Why Puerto Ricans are bracing for more blackouts

President Joe Biden tapped Energy Secretary Jennifer Granholm last year to lead the federal government’s efforts to modernize the grid.
climate change protest
A protest inside COP27 demanding Loss and Damage funding. (Credit: Robbie Parks)

Mourning family and climate change in the age of loss and damage

The doctors told me that my mother’s hearing would be the last sense to go. My sister, a few close friends and I gathered around her hospital bed and sang “Amazing Grace,” tears rolling down our cheeks in disbelief.

Keep reading...Show less
From our Newsroom
Partha Dasgupta economics of nature

An economist's 'answer to everything.' Hint: It takes nature

Economist Partha Dasgupta takes issue with our failure to account for the cost of Earth's destruction

oil and gas wells pollution

What happens if the largest owner of oil and gas wells in the US goes bankrupt?

Diversified Energy’s liabilities exceed its assets, according to a new report, sparking concerns about whether taxpayers will wind up paying to plug its 70,000 wells.

Paul Ehrlich

Paul Ehrlich: A journey through science and politics

In his new book, the famous scientist reflects on an unparalleled career on our fascinating, ever-changing planet.

oil and gas california environmental justice

Will California’s new oil and gas laws protect people from toxic pollution?

California will soon have the largest oil drilling setbacks in the U.S. Experts say other states can learn from this move.

Stay informed: sign up for The Daily Climate newsletter
Top news on climate impacts, solutions, politics, drivers. Delivered to your inbox week days.