Invasive species are a problem all over the world. Foreign species being introduced to different regions is usually at the fault of humans, intentional or not. Sometimes human ships get stowaways like rats or fleas or even viruses that will be transferred to the other region. This can be extremely dangerous and detrimental for the indigenous species. Without any natural predators, the invasive species may spread unchecked, taking over territory. Here is a frightening list of 10 of the World’s Worst Invasive Species. I think the snakehead fish that can walk on land is particularly terrifying.
The cane toad is a prime example of how humans should not be putting species where they don’t belong. In rural Australia, people brought in cane toads from Hawaii to supposedly eat the native cane beetle that was damaging the sugar cane crops. Unfortunately, the toad did not eat the cane beetles and instead have “rapidly multiplied in population and now number over 200 million and have been known to spread diseases affecting local biodiversity”(Wikipedia). They are also very poisonous, secreting their toxin through glands on their head.
