Invasive pests are slipping unnoticed into northern Europe in huge shipments of cut flowers and potted plants, with potential to damage food crops and the natural environment.
Continental European snakes, geckos and Italian wall lizards are making their way to northern Europe undetected among imports of ornamental olive trees destined for gardens and green spaces.
These hitchhiking intruders can become invasive pests that cause extensive damage to the natural environment - as has happened in previously snake-free islands of the Mediterranean like Majorca.
The study’s authors include Professor William Sutherland and Dr Silviu Petrovan, members of the Dept of Zoology and the Conservation Research Institute.
Professor Sutherland said, “Adult snakes and lizards are just the tip of the iceberg. If they’re getting through, what’s the chance of us spotting small insects and fungi – the things that really cause the problems?”
“Even with the best of intentions, unwanted hitchhikers are getting through customs import checks all the time,” said Dr Silviu Petrovan, who is a senior author of the paper.
Please see full story on the University of Cambridge website:
https://www.cam.ac.uk/stories/snakes-invasive-pests-on-ornamental-plants
Find out more in the short film on YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=CgNVA0MIvY0
Related links:
Hinsley, A. et al: ‘Understanding the environmental and social risks from the international trade in ornamental plan.’ BioScience, January 2024. DOI: 10.1093/biosci/biae124
Media Coverage:
BBC online , BBC Radio 4 Today Programme (6:05am), BBC World Service (~3min50 in), BBC Radio 2 (~7:04am), Guardian , Telegraph , Times , Independent, MailOnline , Yahoo!News
Dr Petrovan and Professor Sutherland are part of St Catharine’s College BioRISC initiative.
The research was primarily funded by Arcadia and the David and Claudia Harding Foundation.
Image: European tree frog. A species often accidentally imported with flowers coming into the Netherlands. Credit: University of Cambridge