The impact of invasive species on reptiles and amphibians

Prepared by Dr. Jeffrey E. Lovich
USGS, Biological Resources Division
Department of Biology
University of California, Riverside

Impact of exotic invasive plants on selected reptiles

Impact of invasive exotic animals on native reptiles and amphibians

As a group, reptiles and amphibians have been very successful as invaders. Prior to 1978, 75 exotic species were introduced into the United States in numbers sufficient to allow establishment (Smith and Kohler, 1978), including some 50 species in Florida alone (Wilson and Porras, 1983). The rate of introduction of exotic reptiles and amphibians into South Florida was fairly constant from 1940-1958. However, from 1958-1983 the rate of invasion increased three-fold (Wilson and Porras, 1983).

SOURCES

• Lovich, J. E. 1997. Wildlife as weeds. In, pp. 46-51. J. Lovich, J. Randall, and M. Kelly (eds.). Proceedings California Exotic Pest Plant Council Symposium '96.
• Smith, H. M. and A. J. Kohler. 1978. A survey of herpetological introductions in the United States and Canada. Transactions of the Kansas Academy of Science 80(1-2):1-24.
• Wilson, L. D. and L. Porras. 1983. The ecological impact of man on the south Florida herpetofauna. University of Kansas Museum of Natural History Special Publication No. 9:1-89.

Click on the photos for more information on the impacts of selected species on native reptiles and amphibians. Photographs provided by Jack Crayon (clawed frog), Whit Gibbons (slider turtle), Kathie Meyer (desert tortoise), Rick Redak (fire ant), and Gordon Rodda (brown tree snake). All other photos by Jeff Lovich.