# What North American plants and animals are invasive species elsewhere? **URL:** \ **Category:** Factual Questions\ **Created:** [April 8, 2018, 12:24am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-north-american-plants-and-animals-are-invasive-species-elsewhere/812007 "2018-04-08T00:24:13Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 20\ **Page:** 1
**Author:** ![River\_Hippie](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/river_hippie/32/26_2.png) [@River\_Hippie](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/River_Hippie)\ **Post date:** [April 8, 2018, 12:24am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-north-american-plants-and-animals-are-invasive-species-elsewhere/812007/1 "2018-04-08T00:24:13Z")
I stumbled over this story of [snapping turtles being an invasive species in Japan.](https://www.japantimes.co.jp/news/2014/08/05/national/invasive-snapping-turtles-on-the-rise-in-chiba-other-areas/#.Wslf1i7wb3g) I am familiar with many species of plants and animals being invasive to N. America but know little about N. A. species invading other continents. ---
**Author:** ![SciFiSam](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/47e85d/32.png) [@SciFiSam](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/SciFiSam)\ **Post date:** [April 8, 2018, 12:33am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-north-american-plants-and-animals-are-invasive-species-elsewhere/812007/2 "2018-04-08T00:33:48Z")
[American grey squirrels have completely taken over from native red squirrels in England and mostly taken over in other parts of the UK.](https://www.woodlandtrust.org.uk/blog/2016/09/red-squirrel-facts/) ---
**Author:** ![thelurkinghorror](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/7c8e57/32.png) [@thelurkinghorror](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/thelurkinghorror)\ **Post date:** [April 8, 2018, 12:34am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-north-american-plants-and-animals-are-invasive-species-elsewhere/812007/3 "2018-04-08T00:34:11Z")
Raccoons. Crawdads/crawfish/crayfish, who bring disease to native minilobsters, several fish species such as rainbow trout, though they’re native to Asia too. And bullfrogs (chazwozzers) ---
**Author:** ![leahcim](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/l/b4bc9f/32.png) [@leahcim](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/leahcim)\ **Post date:** [April 8, 2018, 12:42am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-north-american-plants-and-animals-are-invasive-species-elsewhere/812007/4 "2018-04-08T00:42:23Z")
The [Colorado Potato Beetle](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Colorado_potato_beetle) is invasive in Europe and Asia. ---
**Author:** ![River\_Hippie](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/river_hippie/32/26_2.png) [@River\_Hippie](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/River_Hippie)\ **Post date:** [April 8, 2018, 12:46am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-north-american-plants-and-animals-are-invasive-species-elsewhere/812007/5 "2018-04-08T00:46:01Z")
> [@thelurkinghorror](#): > > Raccoons. Crawdads/crawfish/crayfish, who bring disease to native minilobsters, several fish species such as rainbow trout, though they’re native to Asia too. > > And bullfrogs (chazwozzers) Where are bullfrogs invading? I know within the US they are invasive in the west, west of the Rockies. Are they in other countries? ---
**Author:** ![SciFiSam](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/47e85d/32.png) [@SciFiSam](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/SciFiSam)\ **Post date:** [April 8, 2018, 12:57am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-north-american-plants-and-animals-are-invasive-species-elsewhere/812007/6 "2018-04-08T00:57:05Z")
[There’s a couple more here.](http://www.discoverwildlife.com/british-wildlife/10-invasive-species-causing-problems-uk) Mink are one I was thinking of but I didn’t know their effect had been so extreme. A lot of them in the wild were released by supposed animal rights activists. ---
**Author:** ![Tamerlane](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/tamerlane/32/7602_2.png) [@Tamerlane](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Tamerlane)\ **Post date:** [April 8, 2018, 1:00am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-north-american-plants-and-animals-are-invasive-species-elsewhere/812007/7 "2018-04-08T01:00:45Z")
> [@River\_Hippie](#): > > Where are bullfrogs invading? Lots o’ [places](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/American_bullfrog#/media/File:Carte_r%C3%A9partitionGt_monde.png). East Asia, Europe and Eastern South America in particular. With often unhappy results for native amphibians. The Red-eared slider is making a similar impact on turtles, likewise to a lesser extent the Rosy Wolfsnail( a “fast” snail-eating snail )for snails. ---
**Author:** ![River\_Hippie](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/river_hippie/32/26_2.png) [@River\_Hippie](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/River_Hippie)\ **Post date:** [April 8, 2018, 1:06am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-north-american-plants-and-animals-are-invasive-species-elsewhere/812007/8 "2018-04-08T01:06:54Z")
[From Wikipedia](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/American_bullfrog) “Other countries into which the bullfrog has been introduced include Mexico, the western half of Canada, Cuba, Jamaica, Italy, the Netherlands, and France.[14] It is also found in Argentina, Brazil, Uruguay, Venezuela, Colombia, China, South Korea[15] and Japan.[16] The reasons for introducing the bullfrog to these countries have included their intentional release, either to provide a source of food or as biological control agents, the escape of frogs from breeding establishments, and the escape or release of frogs kept as pets.[14] Conservationists are concerned the bullfrog is relatively immune to the fungal infection chytridiomycosis and as it invades new territories, it may assist the spread of this lethal disease to more susceptible native species of frog.[17][16]” ---
**Author:** ![The\_Niply\_Elder](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/8e8cbc/32.png) [@The\_Niply\_Elder](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/The_Niply_Elder)\ **Post date:** [April 8, 2018, 1:28am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-north-american-plants-and-animals-are-invasive-species-elsewhere/812007/9 "2018-04-08T01:28:41Z")
> **[Beaver eradication in Tierra del Fuego](https://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/Beaver_eradication_in_Tierra_del_Fuego)** > > The governments of Chile and Argentina are attempting to eradicate the North American beaver in the Tierra del Fuego area at the southernmost tip of South America. This non-native species was introduced in 1946 as a potential source of commercial fur trading. When the putative fur trade industry failed, the beavers became problematic and the governments agreed to intervene to wipe them out. A June 2011 NPR report stated that the beavers have caused millions of dollars in damages. Accord In 1946,... Beavers in southern South America are a problem ---
**Author:** ![nearwildheaven](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/n/90db22/32.png) [@nearwildheaven](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/nearwildheaven)\ **Post date:** [April 8, 2018, 1:45am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-north-american-plants-and-animals-are-invasive-species-elsewhere/812007/10 "2018-04-08T01:45:12Z")
How about rabbits in Australia? ---
**Author:** ![River\_Hippie](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/river_hippie/32/26_2.png) [@River\_Hippie](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/River_Hippie)\ **Post date:** [April 8, 2018, 1:59am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-north-american-plants-and-animals-are-invasive-species-elsewhere/812007/11 "2018-04-08T01:59:50Z")
> [@nearwildheaven](#): > > How about rabbits in Australia? According to this [European rabbits](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Rabbits_in_Australia) were introduced to Australia. ---
**Author:** ![scr4](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/59ef9b/32.png) [@scr4](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/scr4)\ **Post date:** [April 8, 2018, 2:17am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-north-american-plants-and-animals-are-invasive-species-elsewhere/812007/12 "2018-04-08T02:17:31Z")
The [phylloxera](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Phylloxera), native to North America, spread to Europe and basically destroyed all grape vines in Europe. The wine industry barely survived by importing American plants resistant to it, and grafting the grape vines onto them. The [largemouth bass](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Largemouth_bass) was introduced to many other countries for sport fishing, and became invasive. ---
**Author:** ![DSeid](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/dseid/32/20194_2.png) [@DSeid](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/DSeid)\ **Post date:** [April 8, 2018, 2:37am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-north-american-plants-and-animals-are-invasive-species-elsewhere/812007/13 "2018-04-08T02:37:18Z")
Is having a negative impact required for a species to be considered “invasive”? If not I submit the tomato and the potato as huge ones of major impact, intentional and desirable as their invasions and domestications were. The “not” position certainly has [its defense.](https://www.nytimes.com/2016/03/01/science/invasive-species.html) From that article comes this interesting concept and example for the op: > [@](#): > > … the “paradox” of species that are under threat in their native range but are viewed as invasive in other places they have settled. > > They include the Monterey pine, endangered in California and Mexico but treated as a pest in Australia and New Zealand … ---
**Author:** ![scr4](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/59ef9b/32.png) [@scr4](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/scr4)\ **Post date:** [April 8, 2018, 3:12am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-north-american-plants-and-animals-are-invasive-species-elsewhere/812007/14 "2018-04-08T03:12:46Z")
> [@DSeid](#): > > Is having a negative impact required for a species to be considered “invasive”? I don’t think so, but I think it would have to be propagating in the wild (not cultivated) to be considered “invasive.” ---
**Author:** ![DSeid](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/dseid/32/20194_2.png) [@DSeid](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/DSeid)\ **Post date:** [April 8, 2018, 3:36am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-north-american-plants-and-animals-are-invasive-species-elsewhere/812007/15 "2018-04-08T03:36:20Z")
Not sure. We are as much a part of the ecosystem as anything else. Domesticated plants are to some degree a form of mutualism, and the bigger beneficiaries of those relationships from the perspective of the “selfish gene” are the plants who have by way of providing relatively nominal benefit to humans now spread farther and wider than they ever otherwise would have. ---
**Author:** ![thelurkinghorror](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/7c8e57/32.png) [@thelurkinghorror](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/thelurkinghorror)\ **Post date:** [April 8, 2018, 4:13am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-north-american-plants-and-animals-are-invasive-species-elsewhere/812007/16 "2018-04-08T04:13:47Z")
> [@DSeid](#): > > Is having a negative impact required for a species to be considered “invasive”? I assumed not as intentional stocking of game fish, mammals, and birds is done. But yeah, they also need to be semiwild. ---
**Author:** ![Colibri](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/colibri/32/1841_2.png) [@Colibri](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Colibri)\ **Post date:** [April 8, 2018, 5:11am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-north-american-plants-and-animals-are-invasive-species-elsewhere/812007/17 "2018-04-08T05:11:37Z")
> [@DSeid](#): > > Is having a negative impact required for a species to be considered “invasive”? Yes. By definition, invasive species are detrimental. > [@](#): > > If not I submit the tomato and the potato as huge ones of major impact, intentional and desirable as their invasions and domestications were. Crops are not invasive unless they spread on their own without human assistance. Tomatoes and potatoes are not invasive. ---
**Author:** ![Toxylon](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/f05b48/32.png) [@Toxylon](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Toxylon)\ **Post date:** [April 8, 2018, 6:18am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-north-american-plants-and-animals-are-invasive-species-elsewhere/812007/18 "2018-04-08T06:18:34Z")
Mink, introduced in the 1920’s, is a serious threat to native bird species here in Finland. Muskrat, also introduced in the 20’s, became extremely common by finding an empty ecological niche, but their population has recently crashed due to unknown reasons. Whitetail deer, introduced in the 1930’s, has boomed in Finland as well, becoming the second most important game animal per meat yield. Curiously, the whitetails have also found a niche without disrupting native wildlife. On the plant side, a lupine (Lupinus polyphyllus) and a serviceberry (Amelanchier spicata) have gotten out of hand and are crowding out native species at a fast clip. ---
**Author:** ![Toxylon](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/f05b48/32.png) [@Toxylon](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Toxylon)\ **Post date:** [April 8, 2018, 6:44am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-north-american-plants-and-animals-are-invasive-species-elsewhere/812007/19 "2018-04-08T06:44:18Z")
Forgot to add the North American beaver, introduced in - who’d guess - the 1930’s, and becoming the dominant beaver species, over the once-extinct native Eurasian beaver. ---
**Author:** ![thelurkinghorror](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/7c8e57/32.png) [@thelurkinghorror](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/thelurkinghorror)\ **Post date:** [April 8, 2018, 7:35am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-north-american-plants-and-animals-are-invasive-species-elsewhere/812007/20 "2018-04-08T07:35:21Z")
> [@Toxylon](#): > > Whitetail deer, introduced in the 1930’s, has boomed in Finland as well, becoming the second most important game animal per meat yield. Curiously, the whitetails have also found a niche without disrupting native wildlife. Interesting. In the areas where the two smaller North American species coexist, primarily in the Rocky Mountain area, white tails are frequently accused of pushing out mule deer. They must not compete as much with Finnish species (moose and ??? Fallow deer and reindeer?) [Next page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-north-american-plants-and-animals-are-invasive-species-elsewhere/812007.md?page=2)