Interview 4: Common Myna

Hello, welcome back to interview with the pest’s blog. Today we will be interviewing a species that has the top 100 of world’s most invasive species by the International Union for the Conservation of Nature or “IUCN”. It was introduced to Australia during 1862 to help combat plague locusts and cane beetles. We will be covering why they were introduced, their ecology, impact/threats to Australia and how are they controlled. Give a warm welcome to the Common Myna.

Myna: Hi, my name is Common Myna or “Myna” for short. I was introduced from India to Australia in 1862 to help the sugar cane industry fight back against the Plague Locusts and the Cane Beetle. I have continued to spread across the East and South East Coast of Australia since the 1862. My other name is Indian Myna (australianmuseum.net.au, 2020).

Q: So, what is your diet like in Australia? Is there a particular habitat you like?

Myna: I am a medium size bird around 25-26cm tall from head to tail with a brown plumage. I have a dark brown/black head with a yellow patch behind my eye and yellow bill, legs and feet. My tail tips are white, and I have a distinct strut/walk/hop. 

I can live in savannah, plantations, agricultural land and urban habitats, but I prefer to stay near humans and their homes (dpi.nsw.gov.au, 2020). I feed on insects, fruit, seeds, pet food and other birds. My scientific name is (Acridotheres tristis). Below is a picture of what I look like (Brisbane.qld.gov.au, 2020).

Picture by ebird.org

Q: what impact/threats do you have on Australia?

Myna: As I am in the top 100 worst invasive species list by the IUCN, I am a threat to native species and the farming industry. I attack native birds for territory and nesting space by working in pairs to drive the parents from the nest and kill their eggs/young so I can have the nest for my young. I cause damage to ripening fruit by feeding on them and I can carry diseases such as avian influenza and mites that can cause dermatitis in humans (pestsmart.org.au, 2020).

Q: Are there any biosecurity/control measure for you?

Myna: There is currently no major plan to control the spread of the Common Myna, but there are small steps that can be taken to make keep me out of people’s yards by removing palm trees as I like to nest in them, removing food scraps and water sources from yard and not feeding the bird. If there are already young birds in a nest in your yard, do not move or touch them as they may have parasites (Brisbane.qld.gov.au, 2020).

Next time, we will be covering two ant species that were introduced to Australia by arriving on transport and containers.


References

https://australianmuseum.net.au/learn/animals/birds/common-myna/

https://www.brisbane.qld.gov.au/clean-and-green/natural-environment-and-water/biodiversity-in-brisbane/wildlife-in-brisbane/pest-animals-and-invasive-species/common-myna

https://www.dpi.nsw.gov.au/biosecurity/vertebrate-pests/pest-animals-in-nsw/pest-birds/myna-birds

https://ebird.org/species/commyn

https://pestsmart.org.au/pestsmart-common-indian-myna/

Interview 3: Asian House Gecko

Hello, welcome back to interview with the pest’s blog. Today we will be interviewing a species the was introduced to Australia by accident in 1845 when this species arrived by cargo ships. We will be covering why they were introduced, their ecology, impact/threats to Australia and how are they controlled. Say hello to the Asian House Gecko.

Gecko: Hello Everyone, my name is Asian House Gecko or “Gecko” for short. I arrived in Australia by cargo ships in 1845 by accident and have continue to spread over Queensland, Western Australia, Northern Territory and Norfolk islands. I am also called the Common House Gecko. (business.gld.gov.au, 2020).

Q: So, what is your diet like in Australia? Is there a particular habitat you like?

Gecko: In Southeast Asia, I preferred woodland habitats. In Australia, I live in urban areas which have light sources that attract flying insects that I feed on. I can be found in woodland areas so long as it is in tropical areas as I cannot stand the cold. My scientific name is Hemidactylus frenatus and below is a picture of what I look like (australiangeographic.com.au, 2020). 

Picture by climatewatch.org.au, 2020.

Q: what impact/threats do you have on Australia?

Gecko: As I am not well known as the Cane toad or a Feral deer, I fall under the radar of been known as a pest. I do compete with native gecko species for food and space and many native geckos are killed because they are mistaken as me. Below is a picture of a Barking Gecko and a Dtella gecko which can be mistaken as me.

Barking Gecko (above) by abc.net.au and Dtella (bellow) by qm.qld.gov.au

Q: Are there any biosecurity/control measure for you?

Gecko: Unfortunately, there is no biosecurity/control measures for me as I am not classed as a major pest. 

Next time, we will be covering a species of bird that is out competing our native birds for space and food. It is also a threat to Australian crops.


References

https://www.abc.net.au/news/2018-04-13/asian-house-geckos-fast-invading-australian-homes/9644402


https://www.australiangeographic.com.au/topics/wildlife/2018/04/asian-house-geckos-to-love-them-or-hate-them/


https://www.business.qld.gov.au/industries/farms-fishing-forestry/agriculture/land-management/health-pests-weeds-diseases/pests/invasive-animals/other/asian-house-gecko


https://www.climatewatch.org.au/species/reptiles/asian-house-gecko


https://www.qm.qld.gov.au/Find+out+about/Animals+of+Queensland/Reptiles/Geckos/Dtella#.XsM_I0BuLIU

Interview 2: Cane Toad

Hello, welcome back to interview with the pest’s blog. Today we will be interviewing a species the was introduced to Australia to help stop another pest that fed on sugar cane. We will be covering why they were introduced, their ecology, impact/threats to Australia and how are they controlled. Say hello to our second pests, the Cane Toad.

Cane Toad: Hi everyone, my name is Cane Toad or “toad” for short. I was introduced to Australia in 1935 as a means of controlling the cane beetle the fed on the sugar cane before agricultural chemicals were introduced by the sugar cane industry to control the cane beetle (environment.gov.au, 2020).

Q: So, what is your diet like in Australia? Is there a particular habitat you like?

Cane Toad: As I am a member of the family Bufonidae or “true toads” I prefer moist warm habitats, but I can survive in harsh conditions such as droughts and floods. I am characterized by my dry yellow/brown skin with large parotoid glands behind my head as shown in the picture below. My diet includes beetles, termites and ants, but I will eat anything I can swallow. My scientific name is Bufo marinus (Rhinella marina) (pestsmart.org.au, 2020).

Diagram by australianmuseum.net.au

Q: what impact/threats do you have on Australia?

Cane Toad: Since I was introduced to deal with the cane beetle that was affecting the sugar cane industry, I have spread across the Northern Territory, Western Australia, Queensland and New South Wales. The Cane Beetle and I do not cross paths as the beetle lives high on the sugar cane and I cannot jump that high or climb. 

Many native predators have died trying to eat me as I can produce bufotoxin from my glands which causes rapid heartbeats, excessive salivation, convulsions, paralysis and death (wwf.org.au, 2020). My native frogs are killed by mistake as they look like me in the picture below (australianmuseum.net.au, 2020).

Native frogs that are mistaken as Cane Toads by australianmuseum.net.au

Q: Are there any biosecurity/control measure for you?

Cane Toad: There is currently no large-scale control for me as I am difficult to control. By removing long gelatinous strings with eggs from ponds can help stop more cane toads as I can lay up to 35000 eggs. I can be killed humanely by commercial sprays from hardware stores (business.qld.gov.au, 2020).

That is all for this interview, next time we will be covering a species of reptile that is competing with native reptiles for food and is harming the native insect population. Below in the references are websites that contain more information on the Cane Toad for reading.


References

https://australianmuseum.net.au/blog/amri-news/how-can-you-tell-the-difference-between-a-cane-toad-and-a-native-australian-frog-species/



https://www.business.qld.gov.au/industries/farms-fishing-forestry/agriculture/land-management/health-pests-weeds-diseases/pests/invasive-animals/other/cane-toad

 

https://www.environment.gov.au/biodiversity/invasive-species/publications/factsheet-cane-toad-bufo-marinus



https://pestsmart.org.au/pestsmart-factsheet-cane-toad/



https://www.wwf.org.au/news/blogs/10-facts-about-cane-toads#gs.65kvng

Interview 1: Feral Deer

Hello, welcome to interview with the pest’s blog. Today we will be interviewing a species the was introduced to Australia as game animal. We will be covering why they were introduced, their ecology, impact/threats to Australia and how are they controlled. Say hello to our first pest, the feral deer.

Feral deer: Hello everyone, my name is feral deer or “deer” for short. I was introduced to Australia during the 19^th century as game animal. There are currently six different species of deer residing in Australia which are Fallow, Red, Sambar, Rusa, Hog and Chital (theconversation.com, 2020).

Q: So, what is your diet like in Australia? Is there a particular habitat you like?

Feral deer: well that depends on which species of deer as we prefer different habitats from each other. I am a red deer (Cervus elaphus) in the picture below and prefer my habitat to be open grassy forest to open grassland and I feed on grass and leaves of shrubs, but I will eat bark and fruit if food is scarce (environment.gov.au, 2020).

Q: what impact/threats do you have on Australia?

Feral deer: we carry diseases that can affect local livestock so if disease such as bovine tuberculosis affects us enters Australia, we can pass it to livestock which can have a negative impact on the economic system (Hall & Gill, 2005). In areas high of deer numbers, we destroy native vegetation by trampling seedlings, eating them and rubbing up against them (daf.qld.gov.au, 2020).

Q: Are there any biosecurity/control measure for you?

Feral deer: farmers that want to raise deer need to follow the general biosecurity rules. Deer’s must be contained to an area where they do not spread any diseases to livestock and must prevent the deer from escaping/moving into neighbouring lands and damaging native vegetation. Deer hunting is also a measure of control to help stop the spread (pestsmart.org.au, 2020).

That is all for this interview, next time we will be covering a well-known pest species in Australia. It was introduced to help stop another pest that fed on sugar cane. Below in the references are websites that contain more information on the feral deer for reading.


References

https://theconversation.com/the-protected-pest-deer-in-australia-11452



https://www.daf.qld.gov.au/__data/assets/pdf_file/0005/69719/IPA-Fallow-Deer-Factsheet.pdf



https://www.environment.gov.au/system/files/resources/c6679b32-5f03-4839-aa57-9c5723153b0f/files/fs-feral-deer.pdf



HALL, G.P. & GILL, K.P. 2005, MANAGEMENT OF WILD DEER IN AUSTRALIA, The Wildlife Society, Oxford, UK.



https://pestsmart.org.au/pest-animal-species/deer/

Introduction

This blog will be about invasive animal species in Australia and will be covering what they look like, where are they from and how they arrived in Australia, why are they are a pest and how are they currently been controlled. The target audience will be primary to high school children and will be presented as a blog with links to websites about the pest species. 

Even though some invasive species are well known such as the cane toad, fox and rabbit, there are some invasive species that are poorly studied and causing damage to both the environment and native animals. My goal is to cover invasive species both well-known and unknown and their threat to the environment/native species, this is my inspiration.