- July 29, 2022
- Posted by: Stratford Team
- Category: Economy
MIAMI, July 28 (Reuters) – Two invasive species, the American bullfrog and the brown tree snake, cost the world an estimated $16 billion between 1986 and 2020 by causing problems ranging from crop damage to power outages, according to a study published on Thursday.
The brown-and-green frog known as lithobates catesbeianus that can weigh over 2 pounds (0.9 kilos), had the greatest impact in Europe, according to research published in Scientific Reports.
The brown tree snake, or boiga irregularis, has multiplied uncontrollably on Pacific islands including Guam and the Marianna Islands, where the species was introduced by U.S. troops in World War II, said researcher Ismael Soto.
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The snakes have at times been so abundant that they caused power outages by crawling on electrical equipment, he said.
This signals the need for investment controlling global transport of invasive species to avoid paying for…
