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| As many as two million brown tree snakes are believed to now live on the tiny Pacific Island of Guam. The American bullfrog is known to eat almost anything - including other members of the same species. (Combined photo by= Getty Images) |
[Asia News = Reporter Reakkana] Scientists tallying the economic damage wrought by invasive pests across the world found two species are responsible for more harm than any other. The American bullfrog and brown tree snake have collectively caused $16.3bn (£13.4bn) in global damage since 1986, BBC reported.
In addition to ecological harm, the invasive pair have ruined farm crops and triggered costly power outages. Researchers hope their findings will encourage more investment to help block invasive species in the future. Writing in Scientific Reports, the scientists held the brown tree snake singlehandedly responsible for $10.3bn worth of damage in total. In Guam, where the reptile was accidentally introduced by US marines last century, the snake's sheer present-day population causes mass power cuts.
In Europe, exploding numbers of American bullfrogs have required ambitious and costly management programs. To prevent the spread of the amphibian - which can grow up to 30cm (12 inches) in length and half a kilo (17.6oz) in weight - officials have been forced to install expensive frog-proof fencing around known breeding sites. Fencing off just five ponds to stop the amphibians from escaping cost German officials €270,000 (£226,300), an older EU study cited by the authors found. The study's authors hope their findings will encourage officials to invest more in pest controls and other biosecurity measures in the future.
