Australia
See also: Invasive species in AustraliaAustralia has a huge range of introduced species, so sub-classifications are necessary:
- Invasive - species has a tendency to spread their range into new areas
- Ferals - defined as animals for domestic purposes (i.e., pets or beasts of burden) that have gone wild
- Pests - animals that have a direct effect on human standards of living or the environment/ecosystems, have a high rate of reproduction, and are difficult to control
Feral animals that cause the most public concern, and economic and ecological damage include:
| Image | Name | Species | Overview | Introduced | Reason | Introduced from | Distribution | Feral | Pest | Threat level | Est. pop. | Main control measures | Notes / ref |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Cane toad | Bufo marinus | Cane toads in Australia | 1935 | Biological control (cane beetle) | South America via Hawaii | Queensland (extensive), northern New South Wales, Top End, Kimberley | No | Yes | Extreme | 200 million + | Culling; trapping; genetic (under research) | prolific breeders and bufotoxin kills native animals | |
| Red Fox | Vulpes vulpes | Feral foxes in Australia | 1855 | Recreational hunting | Europe | most of mainland Australia; small numbers in Tasmania | No | Yes | Extreme | 7.2 million + | 1080 baiting; hunting | Elusive prolific predator of native animals and livestock. | |
| European Rabbit | Oryctolagus cuniculus | Rabbits in Australia | 1859 | Recreational hunting | Europe | Throughout Australia (extensive) | No | Yes | High | 200 million + | rabbit-proof fence; Myxomatosis; Calicivirus (RHD) | Prolific breeders that destroy land. | |
| Dromedary Camel | Camelus dromedarius | Australian feral camel | 1840 | Beast of burden | India | Central Australia (extensive) | Yes | Yes | Medium to high | 1.1 million | Helicopter culling | Grazer, though arid Australian conditions suit the camel perfectly. | |
| Feral goat | Capra hircus | Feral goats in Australia | ?? | Domestic livestock | ?? | Throughout Australia (extensive) | Yes | Yes | High | + | Helicopter culling | ||
| Feral cat | Felis catus | Feral cat | c. 1700s | Pets | Europe | Throughout Australia, except in tropical rainforests (extensive) | Yes | Yes | High to extreme | ?? | Barrier fencing, shooting, trapping. Control measures effective on small islands; less so on the mainland. | The most widely spread and invasive of all introduced species. It is possibly responsible for the extinction of some species of small mammals. | |
| Brumby | Equus ferus caballus | Brumby | 1788 | Farm and utility work | Europe; some later imports from South Africa and Indonesia | Throughout Australia (extensive) | Yes | Yes | Medium to high | 300,000+ | Musters, ground and helicopter culling, fertility control | Grazers that damage sensitive lands | |
| Feral pig | Sus scrofa | Feral pig | 1788 | Domestic livestock | Europe | Throughout Australia, except in deserts (extensive) | Yes | Yes | High | 13 million to 23 million | Musters, ground and helicopter culling, trapping, poisoning, fencing | Prolific breeders that destroy land and have the potential to spread disease |
Read more about this topic: List Of Introduced Species
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