Latest news with #invasive
Yahoo
33 minutes ago
- Yahoo
Biosecurity hazard found inside resident's oven poses 'serious risk' to Australia
Australian authorities have warned an invasive animal found hiding in a home kitchen posed a 'serious risk' to the nation's biosecurity. They believe the bright orange American corn snake was likely being kept as an illegal pet before it escaped and entered a residence in Sydney's west. Snake catcher Austin Pols told Yahoo News when the snake was described to him over the phone, he initially dismissed the caller's authenticity. 'The guy said, I have an orange snake coming out of my oven, and I immediately assumed it was a prank call. I told him, there are no orange snakes in Sydney and asked him to send me an image,' he recalled. Related: 😳 Discovery in remote bushland prompts renewed calls to combat Aussie crisis The photo that was sent through to Austin's phone allayed any concerns that the situation was not genuine, and he apologised for not believing the caller. The Sydney Snakes and Wildlife Removal founder then jumped in his car and drove directly to the Macquarie Fields address. Why exotic snakes pose a 'serious risk' to Australia The NSW Department of Primary Industries (DPIRD) told Yahoo News it manages 20 to 25 detections of the corn snakes each year, but the species is yet to become established as a pest in the wild. 'The species poses a serious risk to Australia's biosecurity, biodiversity, environment and economy,' it said. DPIRD explained illegally keeping exotic species of snake can create several problems for Australia's native reptiles: Adding extra pressure through habitat destruction; Competing for limited resources; Introducing foreign animal diseases. 'It is more likely that the snake was being illegally kept at a nearby property and was either dumped by the owner or escaped from captivity, and then sought shelter from the cold by moving into the nearby residence of the person who reported the snake,' a DPIRD spokesperson said. 'All exotic reptiles, including corn snakes, are illegal to be kept or traded by members of the public in Australia.' Snake species poses danger to humans Austin has been called out to capture two corn snakes this year. The other one was an albino with golden stripes. They are naturally a dull orange or brown, but illegal collectors often want specially bred individuals in bright colours. It took Austin 20 minutes to meticulously pull apart the oven and remove the Macquarie Fields snake. 'Its head was sticking out, but I couldn't pull it out or I would have shredded it against the oven. So we had to let it go back in the oven, and disassemble it,' he said. It was then surrendered to a vet and humanely euthanised after DPIRD was notified. Although corn snakes are non-venomous, they can carry diseases and parasites that are dangerous to humans. Anyone who detects or suspects they have seen a corn snake or another strange, exotic animal in NSW can report it here or contact their local snake catcher. Love Australia's weird and wonderful environment? 🐊🦘😳 Get our new newsletter showcasing the week's best stories.
Yahoo
2 days ago
- Health
- Yahoo
Fears invasive species is spreading as Aussie mates stumble upon 'fairytale' scene
A group of Aussie mates were cycling through a dense forest earlier this month when a fairytale-like scene suddenly appeared in front of them, prompting the mesmerised group to leap off their bikes and take a closer look. Sean Blocksidge and his friends couldn't believe their eyes when they spotted the cluster of three bright red and white mushrooms sprouting from the ground near Margaret River, south of Perth. 'We were all amazed at the size of them. Almost double the size we've seen in the past,' Sean, who snapped photos of his size 14 foot next to the fungi to highlight their size, told Yahoo News. However, a grim truth lurks behind the mushrooms' alluring appearance. 'Despite their fairytale looks, they're a toxic, invasive species,' Sean, the owner and operator of the Margaret River Discovery Company, revealed. Amanita muscaria — better known as the fly agaric — is an introduced fungus that is believed to have come into Australia on the roots of pine plants. The species, which is toxic to people and pets, is commonly found along the country's east coast, Tasmania and in parts of South Australia and southwest Western Australia. While it's made its presence known since arriving in the early 20th century, Dr Carol Booth, policy director for the Invasive Species Council (ISC), told Yahoo amanita muscaria 'has only recently been discovered in WA'. An article published by the state's Department of Environment and Conservation notes an increase in reports of the fly agaric popping up in pine plantations, gardens and parks in 2012. Toxic mushroom species 'more noticeable in recent years' Sean told Yahoo that although the 'invasive mushroom has been around for a while', it 'seems to be more noticeable in recent years'. Amanitas have been sprouting throughout the pine forests around Margaret River, Busselton, Pemberton and Nannup region over the past few weeks, he explained. 'This year is the most prolific and biggest size I've ever seen them,' he said. 'Almost double the size of previous years and most likely a result of some solid winter rain events.' While they are 'beautiful', Sean noted they're not great for native ecosystems — a sentiment shared by Dr Booth. 'That said, they've certainly made themselves at home in WA's introduced pine forests and look quite magical when you do spot them!' However, they are best admired from a 'safe, non-eating distance'. 🍄 Warning against eating 'creepy' growth commonly found in backyards 🌱 Property owners warned over harmful weed 'having a bumper season' 🪴 Aussies urged to dig up invasive plant that becomes 'very difficult to remove' Invasive mushroom can displace native fungi species, experts say Professor Brett Summerell, chief scientist at Botanic Gardens of Sydney, told Yahoo amanita muscaria is considered to be a 'weed mushroom' given it can displace native species of fungi, similar to invasive plants. Booth said the species 'forms mutually beneficial relationships with several exotic tree species', providing them with water and nutrients in exchange for carbohydrates. 'In Australia it has spread into native forests by jumping from exotic hosts to a native tree — the southern beech — and it may also jump to eucalypts, as it has overseas,' she said. 'This raises concerns that it could displace native fungi and alter the availability of nutrients for the trees it colonises.' Summerell said the mushrooms often appear from April through to July and can vary in size. 'I have seen them up to 30cm in diameter. They generally are larger in wetter years,' he explained. Their common name — the fly agaric — arises from the practice of placing the mushrooms, or powdered forms of the mushroom, in milk to attract and kill flies and other insects. 'The mushrooms can be toxic, although there are some who consume them for psychoactive properties, but it can be quite risky. Generally, they are not considered deadly,' Summerell said, adding the species has been 'been used in art and literature from the Renaissance', and is one of the mushroom emojis on your phone. Do you have a story tip? Email: newsroomau@ You can also follow us on Facebook, Instagram, TikTok, Twitter and YouTube.
Yahoo
11-07-2025
- Science
- Yahoo
UF researchers deploy robotic rabbits across South Florida to fight Burmese python explosion
Scattered in python hot spots among the cypress and sawgrass of South Florida is the state's newest weapon in its arsenal to battle the invasive serpent, a mechanical lure meant to entice the apex predator to its ultimate demise. Just don't call it the Energizer bunny. Researchers at the University of Florida have outfitted 40 furry toy rabbits with motors and tiny heaters that work together to mimic the movements and body temperature of a marsh rabbit — a favorite python meal. They spin. They shake. They move randomly, and their creation is based on more than a decade of scientific review that began with a 2012 study that transported rabbits into Everglades National Park to see if, and how quickly, they would become python prey. 'The rabbits didn't fare well,' said Robert McCleery, a UF professor of wildlife ecology and conservation who is leading the robot bunny study that launched this summer. Subsequent studies revealed that pythons are drawn to live rabbits in pens with an average python attraction rate of about one python per week. But having multiple live rabbits in multiple pens spread across a formidable landscape is cumbersome and requires too much manpower to care for them. So, why not robot bunnies? 'We want to capture all of the processes that an actual rabbit would give off,' McCleery said. 'But I'm an ecologist. I'm not someone who sits around making robots.' Instead, colleague Chris Dutton, also a UF ecology professor but more mechanically adept, pulled the stuffing out of a toy rabbit and replaced it with 30 electronic components that are solar-powered and controlled remotely so that researchers can turn them on and off at specific times. The rabbits were placed in different areas of South Florida in July 2025 for a test phase that includes a camera programmed to recognize python movement and alert researchers when one nears the rabbit pen. One of the biggest challenges was waterproofing the bunnies so that the correct temperature could still be radiated. Python challenge: Why state recommends not eating Florida pythons McCleery was reluctant to give specifics on where the rabbit pens are located. 'I don't want people hunting down my robo-bunnies,' he said. Version 2.0 of the study will add bunny scent to the stuffed rabbits if motion and heat aren't enough to fool the snakes. State efforts to mitigate python proliferation have included a myriad of efforts with varying degrees of success. Renowned snake hunters from the Irula tribe in India were brought in to hunt and share their skills. There have been tests using near-infrared cameras for python detection, special traps designed, and pythons are tracked by the DNA they shed in water, with radio telemetry, and with dogs. Also, the annual Florida Python Challenge has gained legendary status, attracting hundreds of hunters each year vying for the $10,000 grand prize. This year's challenge runs July 11 through July 20. As of the first day of the challenge, there were 778 registered participants, from 29 states and Canada. But possibly the highest profile python elimination program is the 100 bounty hunters who work for the South Florida Water Management District and the Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission. The hunters have removed an estimated 15,800 snakes since 2019 and were called the 'most effective management strategy in the history of the issue' by district invasive animal biologist Mike Kirkland. Kirkland oversees the district's hunters. He gave a presentation July 7 to the Big Cypress Basin Board with updates on python removal that included McCleery's robo-bunny experiment, which the district is paying for. 'It's projects like (McCleery's) that can be used in areas of important ecological significance where we can entice the pythons to come out of their hiding places and come to us,' Kirkland said at the board meeting. 'It could be a bit of a game changer.' The Burmese python invasion started with releases — intentional or not — that allowed them to gain a foothold in Everglades National Park by the mid-1980s, according to the 2021 Florida Python Control plan. By 2000, multiple generations of pythons were living in the park, which is noted in a more than 100-page 2023 report that summarized decades of python research. Pythons have migrated north from the park, with some evidence suggesting they may be able to survive as far north as Georgia if temperatures continue to warm and more pythons learn to burrow during cold snaps. More: Snake hunters catch 95% of pythons they see. Help sought to kill the ones that are hiding In Palm Beach County, 69 pythons have been captured since 2006, according to the Early Detection and Distribution Mapping System, or EDDMapS. In addition, four have been found dead, and 24 sightings have been reported. Big Cypress Basin board member Michelle McLeod called McCleery's project a 'genius idea' that eliminates the extra work it would take to manage live rabbits. McCleery said he's pleased that the water management district and FWC, which has paid for previous studies, are willing to experiment. 'Our partners have allowed us to trial these things that may sound a little crazy,' McCleery said. 'Working in the Everglades for 10 years, you get tired of documenting the problem. You want to address it.' McCleery said researchers did not name the robot rabbits, although he did bring one home that needed repair. His son named it 'Bunbun.' Kimberly Miller is a journalist for The Palm Beach Post, part of the USA Today Network of Florida. She covers real estate, weather, and the environment. Subscribe to The Dirt for a weekly real estate roundup. If you have news tips, please send them to kmiller@ Help support our local journalism, subscribe today. This article originally appeared on Palm Beach Post: Python challenge: Robot bunny new weapon to fight invasive in Florida
CBS News
07-05-2025
- Science
- CBS News
Sterilized mosquitos helping with notable drop in Southern California nuisance
A pilot program aiming to reduce the massive invasive mosquito population in Southern California seems to be working so far, making for a notable decrease in the nuisance so far this year. For the first time in a decade, experts have seen a drop in "ankle-biters," more formally known as the aedes aegypti mosquito. The program releases millions of sterilized mosquitos — meaning they're unable to reproduce — in some of the biggest trouble areas. "It's very exciting," said Dr. Solomon Birhanie, the scientific director for the West Valley Mosquito and Vector Control District. Read more: Invasive "ankle-biter" mosquitos plaguing Southern Californians He says that they've seen notable drops in population across the region so far in 2025, after a yearly incline dating back to 2015, when it was first detected in Southern California. On top of limiting the nuisance associated with mosquitos — itchy, swollen bites and buzzing — it should also help prevent the spread of disease. Aedes aegypti or yellow fever mosquito sucking blood on skin,Macro close up show markings on its legs and a marking in the form of a lyre on the upper surface of its thorax / Getty Images When they do reproduce, mosquitos can lay millions of eggs at a time, usually in bodies of standing water as small as a bottle cap or a garden drain. As areas like this are tough to reach for mosquito control agencies, and most mosquitos are resilient to common pesticides, they decided to try and implement the new method. Male mosquitos are raised in a lab and then zapped by X-ray machines, which makes them become sterile and unable to bite or spread disease. Instead, officials say that they'll mate with the female mosquitos when they're released into the wild. "Those females mate with one of our sterile males; any sperm she collects, she will then store for all of her batches of eggs. But, if she's mated with one of our sterile males, any sperm that she collects, she will then store for all of her batches of eggs. If she's mated with one of our males, then any of those eggs that she lays will not be viable," said Greater Los Angeles County Vector Control District director Steve Vetrone in May last year when the program was announced. Read more: Officials concerned swimming pools in Eaton Fire burn zone could turn into breeding grounds for mosquitos In some especially dense areas in San Bernardino County, the aedes population has dropped by 44%, while in the Suland-Tujunga area they've seen a remarkable 82% drop. So far, Dr. Birhanie says that they've received interest from multiple agencies, but scaling targeted programs like this to large areas requires time and resources. Los Angeles County officials say such a program could cost homeowners approximately $20 per person a year, while medium-sized areas wouldn't require as large of a budget. Some other regions have resorted to introducing mosquito fish to water, which resulted to a 65% reduction in some Inland Empire regions like Rancho Cucamonga.
