Giant Snake Population Expanding North

The python population is expanding north according to an article in the Palm Beach Post. Burmese python is the biggest problem and up until recently these snakes have been located mostly in the Everglades National Park where they are devastating populations of native wildlife.

• Read the article in the Palm Beach Post

  

  Burmese python, Python molurus ssp. bivittatus
  Image by Lori Oberhofer, National Park Service, Bugwood.org

Kudzu That Ate U.S. South Heads North as Climate Changes

See Bloomberg article here: http://mobile.bloomberg.com/news/2014-07-25/kudzu-that-ate-u-s-south-heads-north-as-climate-changes.html

One Person Can Make a Difference

Sixth grade science project leads to breakthrough research according to an article by Brittany Shammas of the Sun Sentinel. 12 year old Lauren Arrington's research for her science fair project showed that the highly invasive lionfish can survive water with a much lower salinity than scientists had previously thought. This means that young fish in brackish waters may also be at risk of predation by the voracious lionfish.

lionfish, Pterois volitans

Image by Rebekah D. Wallace, University of Georgia, Bugwood.org

Read the entire article in the Sun Sentinel.
Remember there is a smartphone app you can use to report lionfish sightings.
Watch the lionfish app video.

Goats and Sheep Battle Invasive Plants

Blake Aued in the Flagpole, colorbearer of Athens, Georgia, tells us that the Athens-Clarke County Commission approved on June 3, 2014 a new law that will allow people inside the city limits to rent goats and sheep to help get rid of invasive plants on their property.

Photo by
Scott Bauer, USDA Agricultural Research Service,
Bugwood.org

Called prescribed grazing, people in Athens will be able to rent the animals for up to 30 days to help rid their property of invasive plants. So which should you choose, a sheep or a goat?

Photo by
Whitney Cranshaw, Bugwood.org

As you can see from the images above, goats prefer to browse on woody plants like shrubs, vines and trees. Sheep generally prefer to graze on grasses and other herbaceous plants like clovers.

More information on prescribed grazing:

•  Managing vegetation with goats, Cornell University
• Tips on grazing for invasive plant control, Invasive Plants in Southern California
• PRESCRIBED GRAZING IN PRACTICE, U.S. Fish & Wildlife Service
• Goats and sheep are great for clearing out unwanted brush, Georgia FACES
• Conservation Grazing for Land Stewardship, New York State Department of Environmental Conservation
• Atlanta plans to use goats and sheep to eat invasive plants, SaportaReport

Funding Needed to Wage Battles in the War Against Invasive Species in the 'Glades

See article here: http://www.huffingtonpost.com/janegraham/funding-needed-to-wage-ba_b_5432279.html

Top ten new species for 2014 -- ScienceDaily

Top ten new species for 2014 -- ScienceDaily

Report Florida Lionfish App