Snakes in a Backyard: Scene 1

Transcription

1 Snakes in a Backyard: Scene 1 It was a gorgeous spring day in Georgia, and Ray-Ray was on his way outside to mow the lawn. Before starting up the mower he walked through the yard, collecting his younger brother s toys and making sure no debris blocked the path. He was about to turn back to the garage to get the mower when he noticed something lying in the grass across the yard. Ray-Ray wasn t sure, but he thought it looked like a really big garden hose. It was probably just another of his brother s toys. He headed over to grab it, but when he was a few feet away he noticed something interesting the toy was moving. Ray-Ray stared in shock for a moment, too surprised to do anything. Finally he realized that he was looking at a snake -- a really, really big snake. Without wasting another moment, Ray- Ray ran away screaming. As he ran inside, his younger sister Jolene stuck her head out the back door. What you hollerin bout, Ray-Ray? SNAKE SNAKE SNAKE SNAKE, Ray-Ray replied incoherently as he rushed past. Psh, Jolene said. Grown boy afraid of a little snake. I ll go take care of it. Jolene walked outside, following Ray-Ray s path toward the snake. She didn t get very far before she saw exactly why Ray-Ray was running. RAY-RAY, she screeched. CALL THE POLICE. This wasn t just any snake. A snake this big could only be a Burmese python.

2 Snakes in a Backyard: Scene 2 Luckily it didn t take long for the police to send a Wildlife Control Agent! Ray-Ray and Jolene waited inside while Officer Daniels and his partner took care of the snake. After finishing, Officer Daniels came to talk to Ray-Ray and Jolene. You two did the right thing calling for help instead of trying to do something yourself. Don t worry, officer, Ray-Ray said. There s no way I was going near that thing. Yeah, Jolene said with a laugh. Ray-Ray s scared to death of snakes. Ray-Ray opened his mouth to protest, but Officer Daniels interrupted before he had a chance to start. Well, you should be scared of a Burmese python. They can grow up to 20 feet long and they re causing all sorts of damage to the wildlife in Florida. You know, we knew it was possible for them to come up to Georgia, but we didn t know they had. I guess we ll have to expand our control efforts. Where did it come from? Jolene asked. I didn t know snakes that big lived in the US. I always thought they lived in jungles. Well they do, Officer Daniels. Normally they re not found anywhere near us, but people have been bringing them into the country through the ports in Miami. They sell them at pet shops when they re little, but when the snakes grow up they become too much for people to handle. They release them, thinking they re setting them free, and they just become invasive and wreak more havoc.

3 APES INVASIVE SPECIES ACTIVITY Wanted Dead or Alive Background Information 1) Read Environmental Literacy Council info at 2) To get started, visit of the following web sites (or the links at the bottom of the above web page). Examples of Invasive species Wanted posters Species profiles page of invasive species Research: Obtain more information on your species by doing a web search. Be sure to document your sources. The Product: 1) A WANTED poster for your species. Color, neatness, creativity, and originality count. You must include: NAME / ALSO KNOWN AS - Latin name / common name / criminal name (be creative). PICTURE a drawing or photograph (color would be nice.) IDENTIFYING CHARACTERISTICS key features to look for when identifying the criminal. LAST SEEN where did the species originally come from? Include a map. SUSPECTED HIDEOUTS - include a US map with current distribution shaded AND a description of its preferred habitat to where this species has journeyed. CRIMES COMMITTED - crimes must be specific to your species and not general to all invasive species. REWARD - for elimination of your species, think ecologically, economically, socially, politically again, be specific for your species. 2) Turn in separate from your poster the following information, typed up on a single page: An introduction history (where it came from and how it got here), Methods of control An explanation of all the information on your poster in more detail than poster allows, keep in mind all of the concepts we have studied in this unit that relate to the topic and try to tie them in. (To name a few biodiversity, predator/prey relationships, range of tolerance, habitat/niche, competitive exclusion principle, evolution, natural selection) Bibliography -- list of internet sites /web addresses OR appropriate bibliographic information

4 ENVIRONMENTAL SCIENCE INVASIVE SPECIES ACTIVITY Research 1) Read Environmental Literacy Council handout. Wanted Dead or Alive 2) Find out about your invasive species by using the books, media, and handouts available at the front of the room. Be sure to document your sources. The Product: 1) A WANTED poster for your species. Color, neatness, creativity, and originality count. You must include: NAME / ALSO KNOWN AS - Latin name / common name / criminal name (be creative). PICTURE a drawing or photograph (color would be nice.) IDENTIFYING CHARACTERISTICS key features to look for when identifying the criminal. LAST SEEN where did the species originally come from? Include a map. SUSPECTED HIDEOUTS - include a US map with current distribution shaded AND a description of its preferred habitat to where this species has journeyed. CRIMES COMMITTED - crimes must be specific to your species and not general to all invasive species. REWARD - for elimination of your species, think ecologically, economically, socially, politically again, be specific for your species.

5 NON-NATIVE SPECIES From: Many plants and animals that are familiar to us today are not native. Some species are introduced intentionally for purposes of hunting and fishing; as an economic means to expand food or industry markets; or for cultural nostalgia. Yet, second only to habitat loss, the introduction of non-native or exotic species is a major threat to biodiversity. These species are often invasive creatures that adversely affect the habitats they enter ecologically, environmentally, or economically. Due to the potential for damage by many non-native species, researchers have identified certain characteristics that can help predict a high level of invasiveness. These include: fast growth, asexual or rapid reproduction, the ability to live off of many different food types and sources, tolerance of a wide range of environmental conditions, and an association with humans. From 1935 to the mid-1950s, the U.S. Department of Agriculture encouraged farmers in the southern U.S. to plant kudzu (a climbing, semiwoody perennial vine) to help reduce soil erosion. However, kudzu has become a costly nuisance, choking native plants under its quick-spreading blanket of leaves and tough vines. Despite this, not all introduced species are considered threats; wheat, rice, cattle, poultry, domesticated pigs and other food crops introduced in the United States now provide more than 98 percent of our food. Aside from intentional introduction, non-native species can also migrate naturally, or can hitch a ride. Many organisms have proven to be quite deft at stowing away during transport, whether it is on another plant or animal or on a man-made medium. An excellent example of this is the zebra mussel. Native to the Black and Caspian seas, the zebra mussel was introduced into the Great Lakes via the ballast water from a transoceanic ship. The zebra mussel has since out-competed many native species, become disruptive to local ecosystems, damaged harbors and boats, and is a source of obstruction for power and water treatment plant pipes. Invasive species can have varied effects on native species, the surrounding ecosystem, and the economy. The most significant effect is that of competition with or predation of other species. However, invasive species can impact other species through hybridization, and can alter ecosystem services, including nutrient cycling and water filtration. Some of the

6 economic impacts of invasive species can be seen through reduced agricultural yields, forest infestation and infection, a reduction in tourism and recreation activities, and increasing health threats due to new exotic diseases. A good example of this is the West Nile virus, which has resulted in human deaths and the death of a number of birds, reptiles, and other mammals. A variety of mechanical, chemical, and biological options are used to help control the damage caused by invasive species. Mechanical controls include burning, mowing, and hand pulling of invasive plants, hunting and trapping animals, or inserting barriers like netting that prevent aquatic organisms from entering specific waters. Chemical controls are primarily through the application of pesticides and herbicides, although these create their own unique set of environmental problems. Finally, biological control involves introducing an organism that can control the invasive species. Unfortunately, with this type of control, the possibility exists that the new organism may be ineffective, it may prey on native species, or it could even become invasive to the area. The ultimate goal is to prevent the spread of non-native or invasive species. Many countries have passed laws and established programs to help monitor and limit the entry of non-native species, providing "blacklists" of plants and animals thought to be potentially harmful. In the U.S., a mandate exists for ballast management of all ships entering U.S. waters from outside the Exclusive Economic Zone of the United States. Yet, despite all of these measures, preventing the spread of non-native species especially those that are invasive is often very difficult since it only takes one person or instrument to transport a species to a new area.