Invasive Species: Exotic Animals And Plants Wreaking Havoc Around The World (PHOTOS)

The United States isn't the only country blessed with a phalanx of invasive species. World travel has both mistakenly and purposefully brought critters from continent to continent, until every country is dealing with overgrown weeds, roving rodents, and vicious bugs.

After highlighting just a few of the many invasive species in the U.S., we want to show some love to other countries suffering from the same malady. Check out pictures of species that are killing native animals, tearing up habitats, and just generally being annoying.

These pests, by the way, are why they make you ditch your banana when you go through customs.

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Nile Perch In Africa

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Growing up to six feet long and weighing over 500 pounds, the humongous river perch seemed like the perfect solution to feed the population around Lake Victoria as native fish species dwindled from overfishing. As usual, the clever solution backfired. Its appetite matches its size. It eats insects, crustaceans, mollusks and fish, wiping out over 200 fish species. It’s now found in Chad, Senegal, and the Volta and Congo river basins, and is ranked by conservationists as on the of the world’s 100 worst invasive species.

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Growing up to six feet long and weighing over 500 pounds, the humongous river perch seemed like the perfect solution to feed the population around Lake Victoria as native fish species dwindled from overfishing. As usual, the clever solution backfired.

Its appetite matches its size. It eats insects, crustaceans, mollusks and fish, wiping out over 200 fish species. It’s now found in Chad, Senegal, and the Volta and Congo river basins, and is ranked by conservationists as on the of the world’s 100 worst invasive species.

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Invader

Rank #2  |  Average: 4

Not Too Bad Insane!

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Craziest Invasive Species

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Craziest Invasive Species

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Comments

[Kitty Travagline]

01:24 AM on 11/25/2010

Once again, the problem was caused by man.

[JayDubs]

05:31 PM on 11/22/2010

Viruses won't be able to successfully take out rabbit populations unless there is also a mechanism that kills the immune rabbits.

My suggestion: Bio-engineer a rabbit virus that causes the infected rabbits to crave the flesh of the uninfected rabbits. The immune population will be wiped out by the ravenous infected rabbit horde.

The best part of my plan- nothing could possibly go wrong.

[ohstops]

04:59 PM on 11/21/2010

There was an old commercial about it is not nice to fool with Mother Nature, looks more like it just cannot be undone once the genie is out of the bottle.The sad part I think is that most of the damage was done by people who just did not think about the consequences or have any idea of the destruction that was going to occur.Our zebra muscle here in the southern USA is another example, only it was an accidental event. John Broadwell

[FunkSands]

03:41 AM on 11/21/2010

How about  the nutria in the south?  Or the zebra mollusk in the great lakes?  Still a pretty scary list.

[Spazoid-droid]

03:56 PM on 11/21/2010

each zebra mullusk filters a quart of water per day! they are the only reason our great lakes are not fresh water sewers by now. instead of looking for the bad in everything try to find some good for a change. nobody appointed us as masters of the earth.

[TimRivers]

08:35 AM on 11/24/2010

You forgot to mention that several historical shipwrecks in the Great Lakes, that were once well-preserved time capsules for historic study, are now threatened with destruction due to your lauded zebra mullusks.

An invasive species is an invasive species and should not be promoted PERIOD. Look at the Everglades in Florida - Oscars (dropped out of someone's fish tank), pythons, green parrots, maleleuca trees, etc are all spoiling the natural ecosystem there.

[TimRivers]

08:37 AM on 11/24/2010

Since we are the dominant species on Earth, and since we have no where else to go and survive as a species, then yes, we most definitely ARE the "masters of the earth" in terms of responsibility to care for earth.

[BlackYowe]

01:22 PM on 11/20/2010

Most of the worst invaders were not listed here.

[baileywick]

03:36 PM on 11/20/2010

Us?

[BlackYowe]

05:35 PM on 11/20/2010

Well I guess this is true.

[Genders]

07:21 PM on 11/20/2010

Cats.

[BlackYowe]

12:01 AM on 11/21/2010

Don't even get me started on feral cats. I am so so sick of people dumping cats on my farm it is an endless nightmare!

[Matthew Harrold]

12:43 PM on 11/20/2010

Those parakeets make a hell of racket when roosting. Down by where I used to go to school there were hundreds of the buggers on a line of trees behind some houses, and I have to say I felt really sorry for the owners of those houses. The oddest thing is how they just seemed to arrive. They literally colonized the area in a little under a couple of years. One moment if was wood pigeons and sparrows, and the next moment every single park I visited had any where from a handful to entire flocks of parakeets.

But then we've got plenty of invasive species to be dealing with, here in the UK - everything from grey squirrels to signal crayfish and certain species of deer. Although occasionally it's done on purpose, like the reintroduction of beaver to Scotland, most of the time it's an accident and to the detriment of native species.

[DemiCrat]

03:16 AM on 11/22/2010

I know the laws are strict in the UK, but are pellet guns illegal? I once had a pigeon problem, once...

[Matthew Harrold]

03:24 AM on 11/22/2010

Pellet guns under a certain pressure of force are indeed legal here in he UK. You could probably get an air rifle with enough force to k_ll a pigen with a head shot.

[doodlebug2]

10:18 AM on 11/20/2010

I love red eared sliders (a pond turtle) but they should be added.
i saw them in ponds around Paris,
natives to the Southern US , how did they get into ponds in France? swim
no uncaring pet owners

[slvrfox857]

09:41 AM on 11/20/2010

We are all invasive species. Please remember that humans migrated from Africa and Asia, and took over the west. Potatoes were taken to Europe by explorers from the new world. So were horses. Every place anyone or anything has ever moved has had the effect of the original species not being able to fight off the new ones. And then the niches change-some species go extinct if they can't adapt to the new reality. Etc, etc, etc. Earth is over 4 billion years old, and always in flux.

[Davey Johnson]

12:12 PM on 11/21/2010

There is a difference between non-natives and INVASIVE non-natives. Potato plants are not spreading across Europe and destroying habitats, causing extinctions, etc. Protecting native biodiversity should rank among the highest missions in this country, but that old "Man has dominion" thing just keeps on rearing its ugly head.

What is perhaps most amazing is the conservative hatred for protecting anything that is not wealthy and a fetus. One would think that the religious would go nuts if someone tried to waste an endangered species ... after all, since they only believe in creation, every creation is one of God's unique creations.

I'm just sayin'

[slvrfox857]

05:58 AM on 11/23/2010

That is a very good point, Davey. My only point is that there have always been invasions of non-natives that pushed out the natives. Think modern humans/Neanderthals in Europe? The only difference now is that humans have reason (sometimes) and can actually observe these things in effect. And sometimes grieve the loss. I am a fan of biodiversity, don't get me wrong. I'm just not sure that humans have the power to stop these things from happening. We aren't as smart as we think we are, and nature always adapts to whatever conditions.

[DawnLI]

11:48 PM on 11/22/2010

Horses actually got their start in North America and migrated over to Asia and so on and so forth. The Europeans simply reintroduced them.

[PunKinPai]

04:57 AM on 11/20/2010

I'm surprised the list didn't include brown treesnakes on Guam. They've destroyed the ecology, wiped out most of the birds, affected health and commerce, even the plumbing and electrical systems. Estimates of population densities are as high as 13,000 per square mile.

[OdinsEye]

03:02 AM on 11/21/2010

They definitely should have been on the list.

[Spazoid-droid]

01:45 AM on 11/20/2010

I never heard of a racoon dog before. did they cross breed it? would they make cool pets?

[Jonboy44]

12:40 PM on 11/21/2010

and thank you for completely missing the point on invasive species. They become invasive because people think that they can have a use for which their current system is not equipped to handle. Ex. taking wild species (plant or animal) and introducing it to an area as an ornamental or pet.

[Spazoid-droid]

03:38 PM on 11/21/2010

this coming from humans - king of the invasive species? just cause other animals move to your turf they are bad and need to die? this is their world too. do not be so quick to judge. a pet is a friend - a politician is not.

[cybogoblin]

01:05 AM on 11/20/2010

Australian possums are a MAJOR problem here in NZ. They've feasted on our trees, and decimated the native bird population. We're fighting back, though. We figured out that their fur, when mixed with NZ wool, is really, really soft and warm, plus their skin makes excellent leather for golfing gloves.

Suck it, possums!

[Tim Janssen]

12:00 AM on 11/20/2010

I see Asian Carp aren't on this list. If they are found to have invaded the Great Lakes successfully they will cause irreparable harm to one of the world's great freshwater resources.

[OdinsEye]

03:03 AM on 11/21/2010

That is another good candidate.

[liberalbug]

10:45 PM on 11/19/2010

We are an invasive species and until we address overpopulation and people start using birth control, it's pretty much just a matter of time until we are all overcrowded, doomed, and start to shoot. Hint to parents, your kids aren't nearly as cute as you think they are and you should never ever have more than one little curtain climibing crumb muncher that is sure to kick the back of my seat on every flight.

[Tim Janssen]

12:02 AM on 11/20/2010

I'd go one step further by declaring humanity as a global form of terminal terrestrial cancer destined to self-destruct and take much of earthly life with it.

[axt113]

02:01 AM on 11/20/2010

Reminds me of what Weaving's character said in the Matrix

[baileywick]

03:38 PM on 11/20/2010

Ever see an orange go bad? From orange to green to black. I think of that when I see what we do on this planet.

[Jonboy44]

12:43 PM on 11/21/2010

So you are going to tell people how many kids they should have? Wow, that is starting to sound more far-right than liberal. Also, education is much more effective at controlling human populations than contraceptives could ever be. Look it up if you're more interested.

[liberalbug]

10:43 PM on 11/19/2010

why would this article say that countries are "blessed" with a phalanx of invasive species?

[doctorj2u]

10:18 PM on 11/19/2010

Nutria. Where nutria fur!
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=W-zXR02KZGc