Posted on 01/18/2025 3:25:09 AM PST by Libloather
From curious hedgehogs to beautiful butterflies, gardens across the UK are regularly frequented by animals.
But scientists have issued an urgent warning to gardeners, amid an influx of secret stowaways.
Researchers from the University of Cambridge say that invasive species including snakes and lizards are slipping unnoticed into Britain in shipments of cut flowers and potted plants.
Continental European snakes, geckos and Italian wall lizards are among the animals making their way over in potted olive trees destined for gardens and green spaces, according to the study.
Worryingly, these creatures can cause extensive damage to food crops and the native environment.
And reptiles are 'just the tip of the iceberg', the researchers warn.
Insects, fungi, spiders and agricultural pests are also being imported into the UK and northern Europe in cut flowers and other ornamental plants.
Despite regulations and border checks, the volume of fast-moving plant shipments makes it difficult to detect species.
It comes as the multimillion-pound global market is rapidly growing with an increasing geographic reach.
The researchers said climate change could see disease-carrying insects like mosquitos, which previously would have died from the cold in northern Europe, increasingly likely to survive.
Rising temperatures could also lead to some ornamental plants being imported from warmer climates flourishing in the wild as invasive species in countries like the UK.
(Excerpt) Read more at dailymail.co.uk ...
Invasive species can be huge problems, but I wonder what the problem is with the snakes? Displacing native species, I suppose?
Ego driven people bringing exotic stuff always cause huge problems .
They have a far worse invasive species know as moslems.
“The researchers said climate change...”
That ended any credibilty.FO.
I, for one, welcome our new ectotherm overlords.
discovered hiding in pot plants
Must have been some thermal imaging going on.
But no warning for rape gangs.
The Meijer Gardens Conservatory wound up with some lizards that were stowaways in the root ball of a tree from somewhere tropical. Dunno if they’re still running around in there, I’ve not been there in some years.
https://www.meijergardens.org/gardens/tropical-conservatory/
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