Invasive Species

Invasive species are:

• Animals that are accidentally introduced to an area where they don't normally.

• Animals that are intentionally introduced to an area where they don't normally live.

• Animals that become predators in an area after they have spent many years being prey.

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The rabbit is considered an invasive species in Australia because:

• It lives there now, but hasn't ever lived there before.

• Australians only like kangaroos.

• Rabbits do not live in the desert, and Australia is mostly desert.

Why are invasive species such a problem?

• Invasive species do not have other animals that eat them in the new area where they live, so nothing stops them from reproducing out of control.

• Invasive species do not encounter diseases that they could die from, so nothing stops them from reproducing out of control.

• Invasive species use up resources like food and shelter that prevent other animals from carrying on with their normal lives.

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What happens if the rabbit is allowed to continue to reproduce in Australia?

• Mice and Kangaroos will see their populations decrease because there is less grass for them to eat.

• Nothing, the other animals in Australia will just learn to live with them.

• Animals that normally hunt the rabbit will migrate to Australia and add to the invasive species problem.

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How does an invasive species "take over?"

• They reproduce so much that they become the most common species in an area.

• They are meaner and hunt better so all of the other animals in the area run away.

• They make other animals in the area give them their lunch money because "they control these streets!"

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When playing the game, which of these was an invasive species to the Mangroves of Belize?

• Elephant

• Blue Crab

• Rainbow Parrot Fish

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After many years of owning a few pet goldfish, you decide to set them free in a nearby pond. The following year, you glance into the pond and realize that your goldfish was invasive to the pond. How do you know?

• The goldfish had no natural predators so it reproduced uncontrollably.

• The other fish couldn't reproduce as fast as the goldfish because there was not enough food or shelter for them.

• You did a good thing by releasing your goldfish because now it is part of a goldfish population, and is no longer lonely.

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True or False: Only animals can be considered an invasive species.

• True: Plants do not reproduce fast enough to be considered an invasive species.

• False: Any living thing that has the ability to over-compete for food, shelter and other resources can become invasive.

• True: The earth had existed for millions of years with plants before animals can along and did just fine.

Which group of fish are considered to be invasive?

• Neither, competition is natural and necessary for a balanced ecosystem.

• The orange fish because they have limited resources that can help them survive in the area that they are in.

• The green fish because they have unlimited food and unlimited ways to survive in the area that they are in.

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Once introduced, invasive species can take over an area as long as there is a ____________________ and no _________________.

• large food supply

• danger

• humans

• reptiles

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