In addition to feral cats, don't forget feral pigs. Cats do enormous damage in urban and suburban environments, but they can't hold a candle to feral pigs in wild areas.
Thank you for pointing out the damage domestic cats do. I work for a cat shelter and a HUGE part of our work is educating people about that, convincing people to keep their cats indoors, and doing trap-neuter/spay-release programs. But so often it feels like emptying out the ocean with a thimble. People seem convinced that cats “need” to be outdoors and that their cute widdle Fluffy McStuffykins would never hurt any wildlife (then they praise Fluffy for bringing in a dead garter snake or anole).
Uh yeah tell that to my little demon cat. She'd go after just about anything I bet. She certainly took out that house mouse. Woke me up at 6am screaming at her brother like a demon cat. No sharing that mouse. I ended up taking it & trading for canned food. I think she's still mad. But the rest of the time she's a spoiled indoor only princess of a cat.
Oh I know my cat is a murderer and she does it for the lulz. I'm pretty sure pidgeons are technically invasive if she brings me a peacock she's eating at the the people, and mostly she likes crickets and grasshoppers. some how I figure those species will survive the fluffy wrath. Also if she brings me a bunny I'm I going on youtube to find a how to skin and eat this and again, she gets to eat like she's people that day.
My cat bit the head off a rabbit the other night, I laughed so hard, animals move. Simple. Humans are invasive so it’s clear that it doesn’t really matter and if an animal can outcompete another that’s simple evolution. If we want to be consistent atleast.
@@faulsity yeah are little monsters though I think in most areas they've done most of the damage they are likely to do. Cats are one of very few animals that kill for sport not for food. Which makes me wonder if we essentially bred them for that trait. Since if scientists are correct at they really aren't domesticated. I remember my last cat killing a lizard.. But before she killed the lizard she wanted me to watch how its done not knowlizards can detach their tails. When she looked down and the tail was there but no lizard she was curious and then pissed. Went and caught it again pinned by head before meowing a lot. Smug cat was smug.
Absolutely. The hypocrisy of people who supposedly are eco conscious but have cats that they let run free at night is staggering. I’ve heard them claim that it’s cruel to keep cats locked up at night yet seemingly have no concern for the animals their cats hunt at night or the risk to their cats if getting killed or injured by larger animals like dogs or the risk of their feline pal contracting feline aids
@Blackouttsi WTF ??? I usually try to be nuanced when there’s a difference of opinion but with this that’s not possible. You’re trying to blur the line and create a gray area where the reality is black and white. When an animal is introduced somewhere it has never existed before due to human activity it’s considered introduced. Whether it’s considered invasive or feral is one step above that generally speaking. But the only people who would question any of that as it relates to cats are crazy cat people. The sort of people who would put the welfare of cats above the native critters that cats hunt and push towards extinction. And just in case it needs to be emphasized I’ll say why this is a problem. In an area in which cats have never lived it means the native wildlife hasn’t evolved alongside cats and doesn’t have the necessary defenses to deal with them. And with cats being hyper carnivorous creatures that are ruthless and efficient in how they hunt as well as highly adaptable their impact can be huge and once they’re established they are extremely difficult to eradicate
@Blackouttsi the impact of invasive house cats varies by region. Their impact is biggest in islands and places like Australia and New Zealand where the native wildlife are most vulnerable to feline predation. In Florida their impact is likely to be less given how messed up the ecosystems there are due to the mind boggling variety of invasive animals including large introduced reptilian predators that are able to effectively hunt domestic cats that are allowed to run wild at night. I would caution you against the notion that North America is not affected by feral cats at all just because it has native feline species of its own. The ones you mentioned are generally medium to large and the greatest biodiversity of native feline species is in the southern parts of USA close to the Mexico border. But even there where one could presume prey species are able to handle feline predation from Bob cats, ocelots and jaguarundi feral cats can actually pose a risk to them more than their prey species due to competing with them and their ability to transmit diseases to them.
@Blackouttsi you strike me as a cat lover which is fine and all. My question to you is if you value your cats and their welfare are you aware that letting them run free at night poses great risk to them too? The risks include getting run over by cars, predation at the hands of larger carnivores such as dogs, coyotes and Burmese pythons and monitor lizards (if you’re in Florida) and even the transmission of communicable diseases such as feline aids. Do you really want to take that risk with your furry friend/s?
@Blackouttsi while it’s not incorrect to say that eco systems are “self correcting” the part that you fail to mention is the amount of time it takes for that to occur. It takes thousands if not millions of years for that to happen and that says nothing about the biodiversity that is lost during that process and the additional pressures that come from human activity such as environmental fragmentation and destruction. Like you could point to the dingo in Australia as an example of an animal introduced by humans that eventually became naturalized in the habitat or you could bring up known examples of biotic interchange like when lower sea levels allowed species to cross the baring strait between Asia and North America or when south and North America became a contiguous land mass. Yeah with time a sort of equilibrium was reached and even though species were definitely lost as they faced competition and predation they’d never encountered before there was also the time and space necessary for new species to evolve. Something that is not the case in environments that we humans are affecting which means ecosystems aren’t able to recover from lost biodiversity like they could previously. And it would be a bit reductive to say that we humans are the most invasive and destructive of all species. On the surface that’s true but we’re aware of the impacts of our actions and we can modify what we do to not only cause less destruction but actually fix some of the damage we cause. Which is why I say we humans have a responsibility to stop doing the things we know are damaging. And so I bring this back to cat owners, and urge them to pull their heads out the sand and to be responsible with their cats and to not let them run wild when outside (same applies to dog owners).
I live in Kamloops BC Canada. One day I found a newly hatched Cuban Brown Anole in a Majesty Palm that had been shipped from Florida. I tried to keep it alive but sadly it died. I now have a Leopard Gecko instead since I had bought set up for a reptile. I had loved leos since I was a teen.
Great video as always Dāv! I’ve been a fan of your channels for years. I’m originally from Florida and only go back every few years and it is astonishing how many invasive species there are, I very rarely see natives unless I venture far from urban areas when I visit. I agree cats are absolutely the scourge of the environment! I’m trying to build a herp content channel myself and you were certainly an inspiration, so thanks you and I can only hope to keep increasing the quality of my work toward something resembling yours! 😃
I am not a reptile expert by any stretch. I don't even like lizards and snakes that much, but I absolutely love watching that type of video. Super interesting.
Another great video I'm always intrigued by hearing about the invasive species in Florida I think it's pretty cool people are out there trapping and collecting these invasive species to get them out of the ecosystem and one day I would like to join in on collecting the invasive species of Florida to try to keep the ecosystem in check down there... And thanks for sharing the history of some of these invasive species and how they got here that is very interesting you still want videos like that keep up the good work Dav
I'm really glad u pointed out the green anole thing I'm from north Florida and I have talked about this over the years but no one really seems to care. at least I know my observations were correct. all I knew as a kid was green anole. me and a friend used to catch them and feed them to his corn snake. out of nowhere started seeing brown anoles and now spotting a green anole is a rarity. personally I like the laid back temperament of the green anole better but they're all cool. nice vid brotha.
So true about domestic cats. Here in the UK when you want to buy frozen rat at Pets at Home you need to ask the shop assistant to bring it for you as the fridge is somewhere in the back of the warehouse. Probably so the pet owners are not offended by the dead mice... as if their cats and dogs ate carrots only...
@@bruce3195 that's very convenient. You don't have to wait. Unfortunately both of my local ones keep them in the back somewhere. Oftentimes I wait to find the size I want isn't in stock.
The packaging on the frozen rodents has a chemical in it that soaks into the rodents so try find a local exotic shop or try ordering on reptile Center Obviously I can’t tell you what to do since that would be rude of me to do so just thought I’d let you know :)
I haven't had a cat go outdoors in almost 25 years, picking up my favorite cat's remains after a mountain lion dined him ended that. The adoption places here in southern California make you sign a contract agreement to keep your cat indoors. Of course some don't but adopted pets are microchiped and spayed or neutered before you can take them home. Hell, my birds, reptiles and my other animals are all microchiped now! I ended up getting a cockatoo returned to me after it was stolen because he was microchiped! It's a handy tool!
I also live in Southern California. I have a cat fence which keeps the cats from leaving our backyard. All my animals are microchipped and spayed or neutered except my turtle, tortoises and bird.
I understand the mountain lion issue - here in Arizona they show up in neighborhoods. The only outdoor pets here are giant tortoises that wander into people's yards!
Someone argued with me for the idea of letting FL ban these animals. I used myself as a responsible pet owner. They said it would murder the environment to let people like me own these..... When I brought up cats, they went silent. People just don't understand that it's irresponsible ownership that should be addressed, not the animals. Outdoor cats are bad for the environment too
Great video Dave. Very informative. I live in Australia and as you know the cane toad is a massive problem here. The poisonous glands on its head and body have caused the near extinction of many of our native species including lizards , snakes, mammals and birds due to our wildlife not having any immunity to the toxins these amphibians carry. The only creatures which seem to have figured out how to eat them are the Aussie crows. They flip them over and eat them from belly up. Clever birds ! Other invasive species which cause great detriment to our native species are feral cats, feral dogs, feral pigs, camels, feral goats, red foxes, samba deer, mice and rats, and the hugely invasive European carp which inhabit our waterways and rivers. Enjoying your channel. Keep up the good work mate. 🤠👍🏼👍🏼👍🏼
Its too easy to demonize reptile keepers right now, but thats changing pretty quickly. And I don't know of anyone who lets their tegu or water monitor out at night. I'll save the rest of my opinion cause I get pretty heated about it.
One of the best things about Miami is how diverse it is in animal life. Born and raised here I've seen these exact species he talks about come into our ecosystem. The agamas are pretty cool, i feed them rice everyday during lunch, they know to come to me at 12 😌 my lil buddies.
I’m a grown woman born & raised in south Florida. My husband just told me green iguanas aren’t native & blew my mind! Now watching your video I’m blown away by how many I’ve grown up seeing thinking “they were here 1st” & they’re not native! Thank you for sharing!
I always thought the peacocks were released to combat the cyclid takeover..... Also, the tegus are quite dangerous as well. Demolishing generations of native egg layers. And the iguanas are pretty destructive to the canal systems and waterways in south Florida. At least the day and tokay geckos aren’t wreaking to much havoc. Lol
Thankyou Dave...you've just gave me flashback to when I had my 1st vivarium set up....I had around 8 of those little green anoles....they are so beautiful
Cats kill over 1 BILLION native song birds a year. But they'll tell you that you can't have a Burmese Python, but it's perfectly legal for your cat to be outside and scratch my collector car hood up. Yes, I sued the owner and won a settlement. But she technically did nothing illegal. 🙃
I would love to watch a video about the red headed agama in Florida like the one you made about the tokay gecko in Thailand. Also a video about the life of tokay geckos in Florida would also be great.
Just found this channel today..... Ill be back! Not only is the narrator 'nice to look at' but he also has a pleasant voice and best of all VERY INFORMATIVE CONTENT! Thanks, this made my day!
When our kids were small, we had a pet green iguana. It was our favorite pet. We called her Susie, assuming she was female. We had her for about 5 years. She died presumably of a respiratorial problem. Including the tail, Susie was over 5 feet long
The only word that came to mind when I finished watching this was “finally “ . Not because it was over but finally someone is telling the truth. My biggest issue in central Florida is Bufo or Cain toads, dinner plate sized dog and cat killers. I agree that cats are the biggest problem but no ones gonna touch it because cats are so widely excepted in the pet industry. If FWC thought they would have a problem with reptile lovers.. the amount of cat lovers is astronomical in comparison. There are places trying to rectify the cat problem though. Many shelters do the TNR problem and that’s been proven to be helpful from my understanding. Awesome video, thank you.
I've been trying to explain to my daughter for most of her life that cats are extremely harmful to nearly all wildlife she sees. She once got upset that the city was catching feral cats, but I had to explain to her that cats are one of the few animals other than humans that put many animals on the endangered and extinct list because they will kill nearly anything that's smaller than them.
I think you missed one, the biggest Anole species; the Cuban Knight Anole. It is also bright green like the day geckos but looks like a larger version of the little green Anole.
Great video! Very informative, I try to keep informed on invasives , especially in my home state, Oregon, PBS has a film " silent invasion" that was nightmare fuel, really really scary, but people need to be informed, and NOT by politicians, I don't believe anything that they spew anyhow, this video was great, keep up telling folks the TRUTH! because if people don't know, they can't do anything about the seriousness of invasives, something introduced to deal with something else introduced has never EVER had a good outcome, if something was meant to be somewhere- it would already be there, stay informed people, it's the only way to combat this problum
100% but people generalize also Iguanas are not as bad as people make them seem they live on artificial canals and eat invasive/introduced plants plus turf grass. People are literally braindead because of the size of the iguana they think they eat dogs and attack people as if it was a crocodile
@@alexcontreras6103 weww..... I also easily can find peoples who don't believe that Basilisk is an iguana eaters, simply because basilisk look too slimmy compared to the Big fat and intimidated looks of an adult iguana.
The worst most destructive are Pythons, Lionfish, monitors, and Tegus and they did not arrive on a banana boat. Pet trade responsible.... You didn't mention Cane Toads.
Awsome video as always. I love South Florida and all the exotics. Although that gecko you have is not Hemidactylus turcicus, its mabouia or Tropical House Gecko/ Wood Slave Gecko. Theyve out competed turcicus in south FL due to their larger size but have had a harder time establishing above the frost line in central FL. Theyre native to Eastern Africa
This is interesting to learn what truly caused the issue in FL. Thank you for this video!! Politicians just do what they can get away with, and whatever isn't popular, that's what they attack.
Hi Dav great informative video as always. Those day geckos are beautiful. As you know we have the cane toads in Australia, no good. What rarely gets highlighted is we have an estimated 10-14 million feral cats in Australia 😡😡 Most of our politicians in Australia have backbones like a perished rubber hose. Never gunna upset the cat owners. No issues with pet cats, but do with irresponsible cat owners. I’ll stop my rant. Love ya channel mate cheers from down under 🦘🦘🦎
Great video! Forgot to mention the Cuban treefrog population that has also made its way to New Orleans. And the cane toads all over south Florida as well.
I would love to have all those lizards roaming around outside my house. I thought you were going to say the most invasive species in south Florida was humans! Cats are invasive everywhere outside of Egypt and the near east, definitely a species the planet has a love/hate relationship with.
When I was a young kid , my brothers and I used to hunt Curly tailed lizards and Amiva lizards around the Sea Aquarium On Key Biscayne Florida, A family friend for years hunted and released them Around his fathers house . That was long before invasive species were labeled an issue.that would have been the late 60’s early 70’s
I love the part about Day Geckos. When I had lived in Hawaii on Big Island unfortunatly ive only met 1 person who understanded about reptiles. Along my travel I met people who love birds, cats, dogs etc. But never reptiles or that the big complaint was about Day geckos shouldnt be there and a vast majority people killing them all because they poop alot and “dont belong”. Unfortunatly destroyed the idea of mutual understanding of reptiles. EDUCATION IS KEY
In the FL keys, people seem to despise iguanas and I love to watch them on the docks, just walking around and head bobbing. I’ve seen them floating dead down the canals recently though from someone poisoning them. I was pretty pissed about it because there was one thats been around here for almost a decade, but he was one of the casualties from this person doing this. They do it because of their landscaping apparently, and honestly they don’t do that much damage at my place? Honestly, humans are without a doubt the ones that have destroyed this beautiful place the most. 20 years ago the water used to be close to crystal clear (similar to the Bahamas), but today the water is green around the islands from the sugar fields runoff in south Florida and pollution of the waters. We’ve destroyed this way more in the last few decades, more than any invasive reptile could, that’s for sure.
@@blackeye3336 It’s because the hoitie toitie rich asshats that live around here lose it when a few leaves are missing from their rubalinis palms and wax myrtle bushes. God forbid they eat a few blades of their st Augustine grass, and if so...They go full on Ken and Karen on a creature that they introduced into the islands. Know why? Because fuck logic! :/
I don't think it's fair to include people like you and I in there. Because what are you and I really doing to harm the planet? It's almost always big industry and people who gain a bit of power/influence but don't know how to do good things with it (or choose not to, or have their priorities all twisted). *We* are not destroying habitats, but *someone* is.
@@BoneistJ that's people fault there the morons who touch them and don't wash there hands that's how salmonella works in lizards u touch them u wash your hands and your fine u don't and there's a chance u get it
It's great to know that not all the invasive species are detrimental to the natural wildlife/environment! And yes, support USARK! Of course politicians won't touch the feline issue, because there are SO many people with cats the backlash would be devastating to the politician's career - at least that's my opinion. Great video Dav!
Very good video that touches on what I been complaining about. The need for Government to blame pet owners for failures in government to control the citizenry and misdirect blame. Some introductions are good cattle and chickens. So were the channas (snakehead fish as it fills an empty niche while not being competition for native fish though some niches they overlap and compete within.
Dude! Greetings from France. Here there was a debate, like one or two years ago, to know whether cats were fair game if found more than 300 meters or so from a house. Nothing came out of it... Great video as always, keep up the good work :)
They won't touch it for many reasons but number 1 money. To many cat LOVERS to generate the support needed. We reptile people only have reptile owners for the most part for support. Jmo
I agree 100%.....and cat lovers are loud and vocal! But honestly...cats kill way more native and non native animals than the reptiles ever will...they also dig up gardens and landscape and leave poop bombs everywhere...and eat plants....my cat would...if he wasn't so fat and lazy...and maybe because he has been raised around reptiles...he doesnt seem to have any interest in lizards at all....but man does he talk to the birds...still to fat to get any...lol.
@@oranjmusemeyer968 mine does unfortunately....he is very fat and has never left the yard...or hunted anything in the yard. Best place for cats though is inside.
@@nancyannspechtenhauser7432 all my Cats, never touch any birds that my brother have, they're trained, since their grandfather and grand mother, lol. I don't really understand how, but i do see some of them ( as always, around 3 or 6 cats) hunting wild birds on tree, we have some berry trees. I do agree, the only allowed cats in the cities around the world, mustahil be cats with human owner, but here in my country, anyone against wild cats, would face radical pet lover, hmm...
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I would 100% agree with you on everything you've said, I would however add that humans ourselves are the most damaging "invasive" species on the planet
The brown Anoles are in South Carolina now also. I've also seen The Tegus they band here. I've seen two. one used to live in the area I loved at until two years when I moved.
The brown anoles are here in South Carolina too. My grandkids caught them and showed us because they were such a contrast to the green ones we usually see.
If you hate feral cats you must love rats. I was dealing with a chronic rat problem for months until an outdoor cat showed up. I have not heard or seen a rat in years and my garden and outdoor ecosystem is flourishing with thousands of birds and wildlife
Animal shelters kill cats every day 🤷 and think about youtubers who catch cats and take them to the shelters. Not all of them are gonna be adopted. It just happens behind closed doors. But that's why it's important to keep your cats inside and spay/neuter
There's a differenxe between non-native and invasive, one doesn't necessarily imply the other. Even natve species can become invasive, it's about their impact in the echosystem. The curly tail lizards from the Bahamas for example are non-native but not invasive. It's important to point that out when it comes down to dealing with regulations and the like. Cheers from the 305
Although less exciting, I bet most people don't know there have also been insects released to control invasive plants (but they are highly tested to make sure they mostly only eat target problem weeds and plants) Including alligator weed weevils, air potato weevils, there were supposed to be one or two released for Brazilian pepper trees but I don't know what happened with that or the progress...
Here in Jacksonville at my house the Brown Enoles are always playing with eachother on my porch. The Green's have left and the Brown's do seem to have taken over 😆 I randomly see the Green's come around
![Invasive Species of Florida - Documentary [HD]](http://i.ytimg.com/vi/0OBUtM10Wo0/mqdefault.jpg)
In addition to feral cats, don't forget feral pigs.
Cats do enormous damage in urban and suburban environments, but they can't hold a candle to feral pigs in wild areas.
Yup.
Texas, Australia, Hawaii, New Zealand, and a buttload of other islands all have a feral pig population
Feral business and politics is the greatest threat the planet faces.
Pigs and politics, 'specially in Florida and Texas🇨🇦❤️lol
Those pigs are even worse than cats they eat anything and everything
Feral dogs are even worse. Anything is in danger even larger animals
I like that you pointed out that the domestic house cat is the culprit responsible for more damage to the ecosystem than invasive Herps.
I thought he was going to say Homo sapiens
@@catherinepoloynis it’s true we are invasive and the most damaging yet the most intelligent
I use this argument all the time for the anti reptile crowd, pretty much forces them to admit their position is arbitrary
Devin Gulyas intelligence makes us even better at being invasive , destructive and destroying wildlife !
Where am from in the woods and outside of town, coyotes and bobcats keep them under control.
Thank you for pointing out the damage domestic cats do. I work for a cat shelter and a HUGE part of our work is educating people about that, convincing people to keep their cats indoors, and doing trap-neuter/spay-release programs. But so often it feels like emptying out the ocean with a thimble. People seem convinced that cats “need” to be outdoors and that their cute widdle Fluffy McStuffykins would never hurt any wildlife (then they praise Fluffy for bringing in a dead garter snake or anole).
Uh yeah tell that to my little demon cat. She'd go after just about anything I bet. She certainly took out that house mouse. Woke me up at 6am screaming at her brother like a demon cat. No sharing that mouse.
I ended up taking it & trading for canned food. I think she's still mad.
But the rest of the time she's a spoiled indoor only princess of a cat.
Oh I know my cat is a murderer and she does it for the lulz. I'm pretty sure pidgeons are technically invasive if she brings me a peacock she's eating at the the people, and mostly she likes crickets and grasshoppers. some how I figure those species will survive the fluffy wrath. Also if she brings me a bunny I'm I going on youtube to find a how to skin and eat this and again, she gets to eat like she's people that day.
My cat bit the head off a rabbit the other night, I laughed so hard, animals move. Simple. Humans are invasive so it’s clear that it doesn’t really matter and if an animal can outcompete another that’s simple evolution. If we want to be consistent atleast.
@@faulsity yeah are little monsters though I think in most areas they've done most of the damage they are likely to do. Cats are one of very few animals that kill for sport not for food. Which makes me wonder if we essentially bred them for that trait. Since if scientists are correct at they really aren't domesticated. I remember my last cat killing a lizard.. But before she killed the lizard she wanted me to watch how its done not knowlizards can detach their tails.
When she looked down and the tail was there but no lizard she was curious and then pissed. Went and caught it again pinned by head before meowing a lot. Smug cat was smug.
@@doct1400 I agree, I don’t really care about invasive species or like biomes and shit, the only climate change I care about it the air.
Imagine the court case of FWC vs The Crazy Cat Lady Consortium.
I'm so glad people are finally talking about outside cats. A lot of the people that are all out nature conservationists are guilty of this even lol
Absolutely. The hypocrisy of people who supposedly are eco conscious but have cats that they let run free at night is staggering. I’ve heard them claim that it’s cruel to keep cats locked up at night yet seemingly have no concern for the animals their cats hunt at night or the risk to their cats if getting killed or injured by larger animals like dogs or the risk of their feline pal contracting feline aids
@Blackouttsi WTF ??? I usually try to be nuanced when there’s a difference of opinion but with this that’s not possible. You’re trying to blur the line and create a gray area where the reality is black and white. When an animal is introduced somewhere it has never existed before due to human activity it’s considered introduced. Whether it’s considered invasive or feral is one step above that generally speaking. But the only people who would question any of that as it relates to cats are crazy cat people. The sort of people who would put the welfare of cats above the native critters that cats hunt and push towards extinction. And just in case it needs to be emphasized I’ll say why this is a problem. In an area in which cats have never lived it means the native wildlife hasn’t evolved alongside cats and doesn’t have the necessary defenses to deal with them. And with cats being hyper carnivorous creatures that are ruthless and efficient in how they hunt as well as highly adaptable their impact can be huge and once they’re established they are extremely difficult to eradicate
@Blackouttsi the impact of invasive house cats varies by region. Their impact is biggest in islands and places like Australia and New Zealand where the native wildlife are most vulnerable to feline predation. In Florida their impact is likely to be less given how messed up the ecosystems there are due to the mind boggling variety of invasive animals including large introduced reptilian predators that are able to effectively hunt domestic cats that are allowed to run wild at night.
I would caution you against the notion that North America is not affected by feral cats at all just because it has native feline species of its own. The ones you mentioned are generally medium to large and the greatest biodiversity of native feline species is in the southern parts of USA close to the Mexico border. But even there where one could presume prey species are able to handle feline predation from Bob cats, ocelots and jaguarundi feral cats can actually pose a risk to them more than their prey species due to competing with them and their ability to transmit diseases to them.
@Blackouttsi you strike me as a cat lover which is fine and all. My question to you is if you value your cats and their welfare are you aware that letting them run free at night poses great risk to them too? The risks include getting run over by cars, predation at the hands of larger carnivores such as dogs, coyotes and Burmese pythons and monitor lizards (if you’re in Florida) and even the transmission of communicable diseases such as feline aids. Do you really want to take that risk with your furry friend/s?
@Blackouttsi while it’s not incorrect to say that eco systems are “self correcting” the part that you fail to mention is the amount of time it takes for that to occur. It takes thousands if not millions of years for that to happen and that says nothing about the biodiversity that is lost during that process and the additional pressures that come from human activity such as environmental fragmentation and destruction. Like you could point to the dingo in Australia as an example of an animal introduced by humans that eventually became naturalized in the habitat or you could bring up known examples of biotic interchange like when lower sea levels allowed species to cross the baring strait between Asia and North America or when south and North America became a contiguous land mass. Yeah with time a sort of equilibrium was reached and even though species were definitely lost as they faced competition and predation they’d never encountered before there was also the time and space necessary for new species to evolve. Something that is not the case in environments that we humans are affecting which means ecosystems aren’t able to recover from lost biodiversity like they could previously.
And it would be a bit reductive to say that we humans are the most invasive and destructive of all species. On the surface that’s true but we’re aware of the impacts of our actions and we can modify what we do to not only cause less destruction but actually fix some of the damage we cause. Which is why I say we humans have a responsibility to stop doing the things we know are damaging. And so I bring this back to cat owners, and urge them to pull their heads out the sand and to be responsible with their cats and to not let them run wild when outside (same applies to dog owners).
“The most damaging invasive species is...”
Me: “Yeah, humans”.
Dav: “Cats.”
Oh. Well I guess those too.
That last lizard looked like it wanted to sell me car insurance.
I live in Kamloops BC Canada. One day I found a newly hatched Cuban Brown Anole in a Majesty Palm that had been shipped from Florida. I tried to keep it alive but sadly it died. I now have a Leopard Gecko instead since I had bought set up for a reptile. I had loved leos since I was a teen.
I have one too, they are adorable.💚
Great job spreading knowledge Dāv!
I really enjoy your educational videos! 💜
Great video as always Dāv! I’ve been a fan of your channels for years. I’m originally from Florida and only go back every few years and it is astonishing how many invasive species there are, I very rarely see natives unless I venture far from urban areas when I visit. I agree cats are absolutely the scourge of the environment! I’m trying to build a herp content channel myself and you were certainly an inspiration, so thanks you and I can only hope to keep increasing the quality of my work toward something resembling yours! 😃
I am not a reptile expert by any stretch. I don't even like lizards and snakes that much, but I absolutely love watching that type of video. Super interesting.
At this point every creature I seen in Florida is invasive
Yeah, especially the ones from New York and New Jersey...
Another great video I'm always intrigued by hearing about the invasive species in Florida I think it's pretty cool people are out there trapping and collecting these invasive species to get them out of the ecosystem and one day I would like to join in on collecting the invasive species of Florida to try to keep the ecosystem in check down there... And thanks for sharing the history of some of these invasive species and how they got here that is very interesting you still want videos like that keep up the good work Dav
I'm really glad u pointed out the green anole thing I'm from north Florida and I have talked about this over the years but no one really seems to care. at least I know my observations were correct. all I knew as a kid was green anole. me and a friend used to catch them and feed them to his corn snake. out of nowhere started seeing brown anoles and now spotting a green anole is a rarity. personally I like the laid back temperament of the green anole better but they're all cool. nice vid brotha.
Now I wanna go back to Florida! Cheers from the Netherlands!
So true about domestic cats. Here in the UK when you want to buy frozen rat at Pets at Home you need to ask the shop assistant to bring it for you as the fridge is somewhere in the back of the warehouse. Probably so the pet owners are not offended by the dead mice... as if their cats and dogs ate carrots only...
My local pets at home have the freezer next to the fish section.
@@bruce3195 that's very convenient. You don't have to wait. Unfortunately both of my local ones keep them in the back somewhere. Oftentimes I wait to find the size I want isn't in stock.
The packaging on the frozen rodents has a chemical in it that soaks into the rodents so try find a local exotic shop or try ordering on reptile Center
Obviously I can’t tell you what to do since that would be rude of me to do so just thought I’d let you know :)
@@patrickduffy5370 that's really interesting! Do you mind me asking if you have any sources about that?
@@TheEmuofEnnui is an anecdote not enough? 😉
I haven't had a cat go outdoors in almost 25 years, picking up my favorite cat's remains after a mountain lion dined him ended that. The adoption places here in southern California make you sign a contract agreement to keep your cat indoors. Of course some don't but adopted pets are microchiped and spayed or neutered before you can take them home. Hell, my birds, reptiles and my other animals are all microchiped now! I ended up getting a cockatoo returned to me after it was stolen because he was microchiped! It's a handy tool!
I also live in Southern California. I have a cat fence which keeps the cats from leaving our backyard. All my animals are microchipped and spayed or neutered except my turtle, tortoises and bird.
I understand the mountain lion issue - here in Arizona they show up in neighborhoods. The only outdoor pets here are giant tortoises that wander into people's yards!
In florida mines just keeps attracting horny bobcats whenever she's in heat
Even a spayed or neutered cat still kills hundreds of birds and other native wildlife. They should be banned as pets and destroyed
Oh almost for got hood mountain lion
Someone argued with me for the idea of letting FL ban these animals. I used myself as a responsible pet owner. They said it would murder the environment to let people like me own these..... When I brought up cats, they went silent. People just don't understand that it's irresponsible ownership that should be addressed, not the animals. Outdoor cats are bad for the environment too
Great vid! Thanks for putting out correct information!
Great video Dave. Very informative. I live in Australia and as you know the cane toad is a massive problem here. The poisonous glands on its head and body have caused the near extinction of many of our native species including lizards , snakes, mammals and birds due to our wildlife not having any immunity to the toxins these amphibians carry. The only creatures which seem to have figured out how to eat them are the Aussie crows. They flip them over and eat them from belly up. Clever birds ! Other invasive species which cause great detriment to our native species are feral cats, feral dogs, feral pigs, camels, feral goats, red foxes, samba deer, mice and rats, and the hugely invasive European carp which inhabit our waterways and rivers. Enjoying your channel. Keep up the good work mate. 🤠👍🏼👍🏼👍🏼
Lol if we had saltwater crocs maybe the pythons would have more trouble, if a alligator could beat a python than a croc is like Mike Tyson.
Its too easy to demonize reptile keepers right now, but thats changing pretty quickly. And I don't know of anyone who lets their tegu or water monitor out at night. I'll save the rest of my opinion cause I get pretty heated about it.
Florida non reptile people are just psychos man living up to the meme
Another awesome and informative video. Thanks @DavKaufman for sharing your wealth of knowledge.
One of the best things about Miami is how diverse it is in animal life. Born and raised here I've seen these exact species he talks about come into our ecosystem. The agamas are pretty cool, i feed them rice everyday during lunch, they know to come to me at 12 😌 my lil buddies.
I’m a grown woman born & raised in south Florida. My husband just told me green iguanas aren’t native & blew my mind! Now watching your video I’m blown away by how many I’ve grown up seeing thinking “they were here 1st” & they’re not native! Thank you for sharing!
I always thought the peacocks were released to combat the cyclid takeover.....
Also, the tegus are quite dangerous as well. Demolishing generations of native egg layers. And the iguanas are pretty destructive to the canal systems and waterways in south Florida. At least the day and tokay geckos aren’t wreaking to much havoc. Lol
Nutria rats are also an incasive species that is damagimg to the wetland ecosystesm and canal banks
Thankyou Dave...you've just gave me flashback to when I had my 1st vivarium set up....I had around 8 of those little green anoles....they are so beautiful
Cats kill over 1 BILLION native song birds a year. But they'll tell you that you can't have a Burmese Python, but it's perfectly legal for your cat to be outside and scratch my collector car hood up. Yes, I sued the owner and won a settlement. But she technically did nothing illegal. 🙃
I am a proud owner a 67 Firebird 68 GMC 69 C10. No *ucks given about scratched paint. I am glad to swap a little paint with anyone.
@@v8mufflerboy84 I like my paint unscratched when possible lol. I was looking at an '80 Trans Am 4 speed earlier today.
@@curtism-w6b May I suggest a 67-68 Camaro? I have an A833 4 speed in the Bird and the C10. Be safe, have fun!
@@v8mufflerboy84 absolutely, but an '80 4 speed, in 20 years I think it'll be worth more money to be honest.
Leash laws??
I would love to watch a video about the red headed agama in Florida like the one you made about the tokay gecko in Thailand. Also a video about the life of tokay geckos in Florida would also be great.
Oh the irony....the first time you said "that guy over there"...and then panned to the anole, I was expecting to see Kusko. 🤣 Priceless.🤘
Just found this channel today..... Ill be back! Not only is the narrator 'nice to look at' but he also has a pleasant voice and best of all VERY INFORMATIVE CONTENT! Thanks, this made my day!
When our kids were small, we had a pet green iguana.
It was our favorite pet. We called her Susie, assuming she was female. We had her for about 5 years. She died presumably of a respiratorial problem.
Including the tail, Susie was over 5 feet long
Great episode!
The only word that came to mind when I finished watching this was “finally “ . Not because it was over but finally someone is telling the truth. My biggest issue in central Florida is Bufo or Cain toads, dinner plate sized dog and cat killers. I agree that cats are the biggest problem but no ones gonna touch it because cats are so widely excepted in the pet industry. If FWC thought they would have a problem with reptile lovers.. the amount of cat lovers is astronomical in comparison. There are places trying to rectify the cat problem though. Many shelters do the TNR problem and that’s been proven to be helpful from my understanding. Awesome video, thank you.
FYI: That's CANE (as in sugar cane), not "cain", toads. Yes, cane toads are a scourge.
honestly Florida is impressive with how many invasive species it has.
Must be the near tropical habitat combined with the massive amount of trade
i'm shocked
Awesome video man... keep up the great work!!
I've been trying to explain to my daughter for most of her life that cats are extremely harmful to nearly all wildlife she sees. She once got upset that the city was catching feral cats, but I had to explain to her that cats are one of the few animals other than humans that put many animals on the endangered and extinct list because they will kill nearly anything that's smaller than them.
Awesome video, so much truth. Love Dave keeping it real.
I think you missed one, the biggest Anole species; the Cuban Knight Anole. It is also bright green like the day geckos but looks like a larger version of the little green Anole.
And Tokay gecko
Excellent information. Great job dav
Great video! Very informative, I try to keep informed on invasives , especially in my home state, Oregon, PBS has a film " silent invasion" that was nightmare fuel, really really scary, but people need to be informed, and NOT by politicians, I don't believe anything that they spew anyhow, this video was great, keep up telling folks the TRUTH! because if people don't know, they can't do anything about the seriousness of invasives, something introduced to deal with something else introduced has never EVER had a good outcome, if something was meant to be somewhere- it would already be there, stay informed people, it's the only way to combat this problum
You're my new favorite UA-camr
That green gecko, the Agama and the basilisk are gorgeous. And it is good to know that they are harmless to the floridian ecosystem. 🤘
100% but people generalize also Iguanas are not as bad as people make them seem they live on artificial canals and eat invasive/introduced plants plus turf grass. People are literally braindead because of the size of the iguana they think they eat dogs and attack people as if it was a crocodile
@@alexcontreras6103 weww..... I also easily can find peoples who don't believe that Basilisk is an iguana eaters, simply because basilisk look too slimmy compared to the Big fat and intimidated looks of an adult iguana.
Excellent video 👍🏽
Don’t blame the cats, blame there owners. Humans in general
No, blame the cats.
@@markscohier9308 In my opinion both are to blame. If you keep your cat inside, it can't cause harm, but sometimes cats will sometimes sneak out.
Your wrong about cats doing the most damage to the eco system. It's us.
The worst most destructive are Pythons, Lionfish, monitors, and Tegus and they did not arrive on a banana boat. Pet trade responsible.... You didn't mention Cane Toads.
Very educational info. Thank you, Dāv
Awsome video as always. I love South Florida and all the exotics. Although that gecko you have is not Hemidactylus turcicus, its mabouia or Tropical House Gecko/ Wood Slave Gecko. Theyve out competed turcicus in south FL due to their larger size but have had a harder time establishing above the frost line in central FL. Theyre native to Eastern Africa
Great video Dáv!
This is interesting to learn what truly caused the issue in FL. Thank you for this video!! Politicians just do what they can get away with, and whatever isn't popular, that's what they attack.
Awesome video thank you
Hi Dav great informative video as always. Those day geckos are beautiful. As you know we have the cane toads in Australia, no good. What rarely gets highlighted is we have an estimated 10-14 million feral cats in Australia 😡😡 Most of our politicians in Australia have backbones like a perished rubber hose. Never gunna upset the cat owners. No issues with pet cats, but do with irresponsible cat owners. I’ll stop my rant. Love ya channel mate cheers from down under 🦘🦘🦎
Perished rubber hose 🤣🤣🤣🤣...that my friend is worldwide
Great video! Forgot to mention the Cuban treefrog population that has also made its way to New Orleans. And the cane toads all over south Florida as well.
I would love to have all those lizards roaming around outside my house. I thought you were going to say the most invasive species in south Florida was humans! Cats are invasive everywhere outside of Egypt and the near east, definitely a species the planet has a love/hate relationship with.
In Europe cats are a native species
Tooshay! Humans ARE the most invasive species in the WORLD, not just florida
We love your videos always great info!
When I was a young kid , my brothers and I used to hunt Curly tailed lizards and Amiva lizards around the Sea Aquarium
On Key Biscayne Florida, A family friend for years hunted and released them
Around his fathers house . That was long before invasive species were labeled an issue.that would have been the late 60’s early 70’s
Great job Dave thanks very information well done 👍 & good job about being up about the cat's
I love the part about Day Geckos. When I had lived in Hawaii on Big Island unfortunatly ive only met 1 person who understanded about reptiles. Along my travel I met people who love birds, cats, dogs etc. But never reptiles or that the big complaint was about Day geckos shouldnt be there and a vast majority people killing them all because they poop alot and “dont belong”. Unfortunatly destroyed the idea of mutual understanding of reptiles. EDUCATION IS KEY
Very good message and point brought up at the end of the video! Thanks for sharing!
In the FL keys, people seem to despise iguanas and I love to watch them on the docks, just walking around and head bobbing. I’ve seen them floating dead down the canals recently though from someone poisoning them.
I was pretty pissed about it because there was one thats been around here for almost a decade, but he was one of the casualties from this person doing this.
They do it because of their landscaping apparently, and honestly they don’t do that much damage at my place?
Honestly, humans are without a doubt the ones that have destroyed this beautiful place the most.
20 years ago the water used to be close to crystal clear (similar to the Bahamas), but today the water is green around the islands from the sugar fields runoff in south Florida and pollution of the waters.
We’ve destroyed this way more in the last few decades, more than any invasive reptile could, that’s for sure.
Yea I dunno why your state has so much hatred for them I guess the memes were true
@@blackeye3336
It’s because the hoitie toitie rich asshats that live around here lose it when a few leaves are missing from their rubalinis palms and wax myrtle bushes.
God forbid they eat a few blades of their st Augustine grass, and if so...They go full on Ken and Karen on a creature that they introduced into the islands.
Know why?
Because fuck logic! :/
I don't think it's fair to include people like you and I in there. Because what are you and I really doing to harm the planet? It's almost always big industry and people who gain a bit of power/influence but don't know how to do good things with it (or choose not to, or have their priorities all twisted).
*We* are not destroying habitats, but *someone* is.
@@blackeye3336 Probably because they keep causing salmonella outbreaks.
@@BoneistJ that's people fault there the morons who touch them and don't wash there hands that's how salmonella works in lizards u touch them u wash your hands and your fine u don't and there's a chance u get it
It's great to know that not all the invasive species are detrimental to the natural wildlife/environment! And yes, support USARK! Of course politicians won't touch the feline issue, because there are SO many people with cats the backlash would be devastating to the politician's career - at least that's my opinion. Great video Dav!
My favorite invasive reptiles in Florida are Ctenosaurs and Tokay Geckos
Spiny tail are awesome
I didn't recognize Clint at first in that hoodie and without a tie lol. Great video Dav
Very good video that touches on what I been complaining about. The need for Government to blame pet owners for failures in government to control the citizenry and misdirect blame. Some introductions are good cattle and chickens. So were the channas (snakehead fish as it fills an empty niche while not being competition for native fish though some niches they overlap and compete within.
Cattle are terrible for the environment, in fact the entire meat industry is bad.
Dude! Greetings from France. Here there was a debate, like one or two years ago, to know whether cats were fair game if found more than 300 meters or so from a house. Nothing came out of it... Great video as always, keep up the good work :)
They won't touch it for many reasons but number 1 money. To many cat LOVERS to generate the support needed. We reptile people only have reptile owners for the most part for support. Jmo
I agree 100%.....and cat lovers are loud and vocal! But honestly...cats kill way more native and non native animals than the reptiles ever will...they also dig up gardens and landscape and leave poop bombs everywhere...and eat plants....my cat would...if he wasn't so fat and lazy...and maybe because he has been raised around reptiles...he doesnt seem to have any interest in lizards at all....but man does he talk to the birds...still to fat to get any...lol.
@@nancyannspechtenhauser7432 mine don't go outside, ever!
@@oranjmusemeyer968 mine does unfortunately....he is very fat and has never left the yard...or hunted anything in the yard. Best place for cats though is inside.
@@nancyannspechtenhauser7432 all my Cats, never touch any birds that my brother have, they're trained, since their grandfather and grand mother, lol. I don't really understand how, but i do see some of them ( as always, around 3 or 6 cats) hunting wild birds on tree, we have some berry trees. I do agree, the only allowed cats in the cities around the world, mustahil be cats with human owner, but here in my country, anyone against wild cats, would face radical pet lover, hmm...
Thanks for a great video
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first time watcher really enjoyed
I know a mammal species: Humans
I agree! I thought he was going to say humans at the end. We are super invasive.
@@summitserpents4193 agreed. Humans destroy.
Excellent episode my friend!
I would 100% agree with you on everything you've said, I would however add that humans ourselves are the most damaging "invasive" species on the planet
Thanks for admitting our invasive lizards are harmless
FWC needs to leave reptile owners alone and look at big picture like humans
The brown Anoles are in South Carolina now also. I've also seen The Tegus they band here. I've seen two. one used to live in the area I loved at until two years when I moved.
Lets just get all our endangerd animals and set them free in florida they wont be endangerd anymore.
-_-
But at what cost?
@@sthui2866 at cost of killing every animal that is native to florida
Hey I enjoy your content!!! Love the amazing information
Pythons escaped when hurricane Andrew blew down a pet warehouse. Pet trade is number one reason.
The brown anoles are here in South Carolina too. My grandkids caught them and showed us because they were such a contrast to the green ones we usually see.
Thanks for the poop facts. 🤘🏻 Around here we refer to feral cats as “Ditch Tigers”.
If you hate feral cats you must love rats. I was dealing with a chronic rat problem for months until an outdoor cat showed up. I have not heard or seen a rat in years and my garden and outdoor ecosystem is flourishing with thousands of birds and wildlife
The most damaging invasive species is not the house cat. It’s human beings.
very interesting video Dav,
Can you imagine what would happen if ppl started UA-cam channels running around killing cats????
Crazy cat lady Karen would go ape shit!!
Animal shelters kill cats every day 🤷 and think about youtubers who catch cats and take them to the shelters. Not all of them are gonna be adopted. It just happens behind closed doors. But that's why it's important to keep your cats inside and spay/neuter
that actually happens in Australia
Fish and game officers encourage bird hunters to kill EVERY cat they see that aren’t in close proximity to a dwelling.
@@sweetdrahthaar7951 I have never heard or seen fish and wild life tell anyone that
Amazing so Interesting to see this video.💯💯👍
There's a differenxe between non-native and invasive, one doesn't necessarily imply the other. Even natve species can become invasive, it's about their impact in the echosystem. The curly tail lizards from the Bahamas for example are non-native but not invasive. It's important to point that out when it comes down to dealing with regulations and the like. Cheers from the 305
Your channel is so interesting and educational!
Cats absolutely shouldn’t be allowed outside at all , they kill everything. You didn’t list any true chameleons
The giant day Gecko has got the sweetest looking face ever....awwww 😍😍😍
Amazing video!
👍 very informative
Grrrrrrrrrrrrrreat, video man!!!
Amazing video! This is why I'm a huge fan! Rattle On!
Thanks for your video I like your nature videos sweet
Great video
Actually. Peacock bass were introduced to eat the invasive tilapia species, which they do well. The fact they’re a popular game fish is an added bonus
Although less exciting, I bet most people don't know there have also been insects released to control invasive plants (but they are highly tested to make sure they mostly only eat target problem weeds and plants) Including alligator weed weevils, air potato weevils, there were supposed to be one or two released for Brazilian pepper trees but I don't know what happened with that or the progress...
This is awesome, Thanks
As always amazing video 👍🏻 I live in UK and I keep lots of lizards I have as well 3 green anole and brown basilisk they are amazing
Here in Jacksonville at my house the Brown Enoles are always playing with eachother on my porch. The Green's have left and the Brown's do seem to have taken over 😆 I randomly see the Green's come around