Two Chinese soft-shelled marsh turtles have been seen south
of Boston! There is a deep and growing concern that they could eventually
threaten local ecosystems if they become established in the New England area.
Was there no warning? “Two if by sea!?”
Where is Paul Revere when you really need him?
“The
concern is that if it can establish a population, it can actually survive our
winter,” said Nigella Hillgarth, the New England Aquarium’s president and CEO,
and a zoologist. “It could cause major changes in the ecosystem. None of the
animals in that ecosystem are adapted to a predator of that size (7”-15” long).
It eats large amounts of small fish, mussels, clams and insects.” None
of the animals in the waters off New England are accustomed to roughly foot-long
predators? Come on. A species that eats small fish, mussels, clams and insects
is unheard of there?
These
illegal alien turtles are native to brackish marshes and ponds in eastern
Asia. More than 300 million are raised
annually on Chinese farms for food. Yet they are considered endangered in the
Chinese wild, though they have become invasive in Hawaii, California and
Virginia. Sightings have been reported in New York and Maryland.
So, to
recap, it’s endangered in its home range, but threatens to proliferate
and take over our native ecosystems anywhere a couple of them get loose over
here?
An
incredible number of invasive species have found their way to this country,
ready to simply overwhelm our native species. Are many- if not most- plant and animal
species in the “wrong” place, globally speaking, or are the plants and animals native to the
Americas just weak-sister species? In either case, Darwin, you got some
‘splaining to do.
Illegal
alien species wreaking havoc upon us?!!
We can’t build a wall for these
invaders.
Guess
we just need to celebrate diversity!
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