IFAS News
Institute of Food and Agricultural Sciences – University of Florida
New UF brochure explains owners’ options for unwanted exotic pets
April 7, 2011
Topic(s): Agriculture, Environment, Invasive Species, Pests
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GAINESVILLE, Fla. — Pet owners sometimes release unwanted exotic animals into the wild, considering it an act of kindness.
But Florida’s environment and economy pay a hefty price if these creatures thrive and reproduce. Introduced species may eat native animals and plants, damage property, pose human health risks and require costly management efforts. The lionfish, Burmese python and monk parakeet have all made headlines for wreaking havoc, and some of the specimens were probably released by pet owners.
To combat this problem, experts with the University of Florida’s Institute of Food and Agricultural Sciences have published a free brochure that describes humane, responsible alternatives for people with pets they can’t manage or no longer want.
Titled “Options for Unwanted Exotic Pets,” it’s available online at http://edis.ifas.ufl.edu/uw353
“A lot of folks may not be aware that they have options, or that help is available,” said author Steve Johnson, an associate professor in UF’s wildlife ecology and conservation department. “We’re hoping to change that, and we want to remind people that turning pets loose is never acceptable.”
In Florida, releasing non-native animals is prohibited by law, Johnson said. What’s more, it’s inhumane—pets from other parts of the world may die from starvation or exposure in Florida’s outdoors.
The species that become established are the exceptions, he said, though Florida currently hosts breeding populations of about 140 non-native vertebrate species.
The brochure outlines several options for pet owners. They include learning more about caring for the animal, finding a new home for it, returning it to the seller, and contacting government or volunteer agencies.
The brochure also lists several websites that provide geographically indexed directories to pet rescue groups, animal shelters, exotic pet veterinarians, animal sanctuaries that can provide referrals, advice or possibly a new home. It also has a link to listings for “pet amnesty days” where the Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission accepts exotic animals and attempts to place them with new owners.
As a preventive measure, the brochure includes a section on the importance of selecting the right pet in the first place, said author Monica McGarrity, a biological scientist who works with Johnson at UF’s Gulf Coast Research and Education Center in Plant City. Potential buyers need to understand an animal’s potential lifespan and size, as well as its housing and nutrition requirements, before making a purchase.
Anyone considering an exotic pet should research the animal and consider the decision for at least a day, she said.
“Some of the most problematic situations happen when people make impulse buys,” McGarrity said.
She cites iguanas as a prime example— cute, small and inexpensive as juveniles. But a few years later the reptile may be 3 to 4 feet long and combative when handled if it hasn’t been properly socialized.
“That’s when people start thinking about releasing it,” she said.
Dustin Smith, an assistant curator at Zoo Miami in Miami-Dade County and another author of the brochure, said he knows all too well what happens to those iguanas, not to mention other freed pets. South Florida has the state’s highest concentration of established, non-native animals, many of them familiar sights to residents.
“When the weather’s decent, there isn’t a day that goes by when I don’t see an exotic vertebrate,” he said. “Yesterday, I saw two species of parrots.”
For more information on non-native animals and their impact on Florida, visit http://ufwildlife.ifas.ufl.edu/InvaderUpdater.shtml.
For information about selecting reptiles as pets, visit http://www.uga.edu/separc/BuyersGuide/index.htm.
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Contacts
Writer: Tom Nordlie, 352-273-3567, tnordlie@ufl.edu
Sources: Monica McGarrity, 813-757-2271, monicaem@ufl.edu
Dustin Smith, 305-251-0400, ext. 84957, dustsmi@miamidade.gov
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A captive monk parakeet is shown in this file photo taken at the U.S. Department of Agriculture’s Florida Field Station in Gainesville. Native to South America, the birds are popular pets and have become established in Florida, where they sometimes build huge nests atop electrical utilities equipment, causing power outages and fires. Experts with the University of Florida’s Institute of Food and Agricultural Sciences have published a brochure to help pet owners understand their options if they can no longer care for exotic animals, and discourage release of non-native species. Photo by Tyler Jones/University of Florida/IFAS
UF food safety experts help give FDA personnel insight to Florida produce
March 21, 2011
Topic(s): Aquaculture, Citrus, Conservation, Crops, Cultivars, Economics, Environment, Invasive Species, Pests
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GAINESVILLE, Fla. — To help federal officials understand the produce industries they regulate, University of Florida food safety experts recently took part in a cross-state tour that provided a behind-the-scenes look at growers’ operations and food safety efforts.
Five faculty members gave presentations highlighting their work to enhance the safety and quality of fruit and vegetable crops. The March 8-10 tour brought a delegation from the U.S. Food and Drug Administration and other agencies to 15 farms and packinghouses.
Organizers hope the tour leaves a lasting impression, one that may prompt attendees to see regulatory issues from a broader perspective, said Martha Roberts, special assistant to the dean for research with UF’s Institute of Food and Agricultural Sciences.
“It’s critical that the people regulating agricultural crops have the knowledge and experience of seeing how the crops are grown, harvested, packed, repacked, shipped and sold,” Roberts said.
UF study traces global red imported fire ant invasions to southern U.S.
February 25, 2011
Topic(s): Entomology and Nematology, Environment, Families and Consumers, Household Pests, Invasive Species
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GAINESVILLE, Fla. — Red imported fire ant invasions around the globe in recent years can now be traced to the southern U.S., where the nuisance insect gained a foothold in the 1930s, new University of Florida research has found.
Native to South America, the ant had been contained there and in the southeastern U.S. before turning up in faraway places in the last 20 years — including California, China, Taiwan, Australia and New Zealand.
Disease-carrying Asian citrus psyllids find refuge in abandoned groves, UF study shows
February 18, 2011
Topic(s): Agriculture, Citrus, Entomology and Nematology, Environment, IFAS, Invasive Species, Pests
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GAINESVILLE, Fla. — For years, citrus growers have feared that abandoned groves provided refuge for the Asian citrus psyllid, an invasive insect that transmits citrus greening—now, University of Florida researchers say they were right.
A study published in the current issue of the Journal of Economic Entomology shows that the psyllid not only survives in abandoned groves, it often travels to commercially active groves nearby, bringing along the bacterium responsible for the disease.
First detected in Florida in 2005, greening is incurable and fatal to citrus trees. It is considered the biggest threat to the state’s $9 billion citrus industry. Asian citrus psyllids pick up the greening bacterium by feeding on sap from infected trees and later transmit the pathogen while feeding on healthy trees.
The results underscore the need for landowners to remove or destroy unmanaged trees, something the state is urging, said entomologist Lukasz Stelinski, an assistant professor with UF’s Institute of Food and Agricultural Sciences and one of the study’s authors.
“There was very much anecdotal evidence that these abandoned areas are harboring citrus psyllids,” Stelinski said. “It’s just one of those things that had to be confirmed.”
South American beetle released by UF researchers benefits Florida ranchers
January 27, 2011
Topic(s): Biocontrols, Entomology and Nematology, Invasive Species, Livestock
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GAINESVILLE, Fla. — Over the past two decades, Florida cattle ranchers have spent as much as $16 million a year doing battle with an invasive weed called tropical soda apple, known as TSA, that takes over pastures, elbowing out the forage grasses ranchers need for their cattle.
But a beetle released by the University of Florida’s Institute of Food and Agricultural Sciences is taking a bite out of the problem by feeding on the weed and reducing its competitiveness. UF researchers describe the beetle’s success as a biological control agent in the current issue of the journal Florida Entomologist.
Gratiana boliviana, as the beetle is known to scientists, is a native of South America and the first biological control agent in North America to be used against TSA. The beetles are highly specific feeders whose voracious appetite is focused only on TSA but not on related plants such as eggplant, peppers or potatoes.
Coca-Cola and Cutrale announce $3 million in donations to boost citrus research
December 20, 2010
Topic(s): Agriculture, Citrus, Invasive Species, Pests
GAINESVILLE, Fla. — Coca-Cola and Cutrale Citrus Juices announced today at a meeting of the Florida Citrus Mutual in Lake Alfred that they have each pledged $1.5 million to the University of Florida for research programs.
The contributions will be used to fund sustainable research programs managed by the Citrus Research and Development Foundation, known as CRDF, a direct support organization of UF aimed at eliminating the threat of Citrus Huanglongbing, a disease commonly known as “greening.” HLB is one of the most destructive diseases of citrus crops, debilitating the productive capacity of citrus trees.
“In making this contribution, Coca-Cola and Cutrale will greatly enhance the ability of scientists at IFAS and around the world to find answers to this catastrophic problem,” said Jack Payne, senior vice president for agriculture and natural resources at the University of Florida.
UF team receives $500,000 grant to fight hydrilla
November 15, 2010
Topic(s): Environment, Invasive Species
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GAINESVILLE, Fla. — A $512,000 grant will help University of Florida faculty test a new triple-threat approach to controlling hydrilla, the state’s most troublesome invasive aquatic weed.
The grant was awarded to UF in September by the U.S. Department of Agriculture, said entomologist Jim Cuda, an associate professor with the Institute of Food and Agricultural Sciences who leads the team of research and extension faculty.
New approaches to hydrilla control are needed, he said, because in some parts of the state the weed has become resistant to the herbicide fluridone, the most popular chemical control agent.
“The resistant hydrilla will probably move out of Florida,” Cuda said. “So this research doesn’t just concern Florida.”
Artificial sweetener could help soybean plants resist rust disease, UF researchers say
August 10, 2010
Topic(s): Agriculture, Crops, Invasive Species
Saccharin, the artificial sweetener used in diet drinks and other consumer products, has an unexpected sweet agricultural benefit: It helps soybean plants ward off a disease that threatens the entire soybean industry, University of Florida researchers say.
If the sugar substitute performs as well in the field as it did in the lab, it may give farmers a cost-effective weapon in the fight against Asian soybean rust, an invasive fungal disease that appeared in the continental U.S. in 2004 and is now a major grower concern.
The 2009 U.S. soybean crop was valued at $31.8 billion, according to the U.S. Department of Agriculture; Florida’s crop was worth $12.3 million.
The study, presented today at the annual meeting of the American Phytopathological Society in Charlotte, N.C., is one example of scientists’ efforts to harness a phenomenon called systemic acquired resistance, said Pratibha Srivastava, a postdoctoral associate with UF’s Institute of Food and Agricultural Sciences.
Mosquito research shows ‘your worst enemy could be your best friend’
March 25, 2010
Topic(s): Entomology and Nematology, Invasive Species
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GAINESVILLE, Fla. — Your worst enemy can sometimes also be your best friend, according to entomologists from the University of Florida and Illinois State University.
Their research has shown how one mosquito species is being saved by the very predator that usually eats it — and how that helps protect humans from diseases like dengue fever.
In the 1980s the U.S. began importing a large number of used tires from Asia. Water that had collected in these tires carried the larvae and eggs of the Asian tiger mosquito, a pest with a voracious appetite known to carry disease.
This invasive mosquito is more aggressive in its search for food than the more docile native mosquitoes, and theoretically, should have driven the native species to near extinction as it spread, said Phil Lounibos, an entomologist with UF’s Institute of Food and Agricultural Sciences.
However, as the researchers explain in the March issue of the journal Oecologia, the invasive mosquitoes seem to be the preferred meal of the predatory midge, Corethrella appendiculata. The paper is titled, “Your worst enemy could be your best friend: predator contributions to invasion resistance and persistence of natives.” (more…)
UF research finds that ‘killer’ bees haven’t stung U.S. honey production
January 26, 2010
Topic(s): Biocontrols, Entomology and Nematology, Invasive Species
GAINESVILLE, Fla. — In just a few years after Africanized honey bees were introduced to Brazil in 1956, the aggressive bees had dominated and ruined domestic hives throughout South and Central America. According to University of Florida research, however, the same story isn’t playing out in North America.
According to an economic analysis from UF’s Institute of Food and Agricultural Sciences, since their arrival in the U.S. in October 1990, Africanized honey bees (often called killer bees) haven’t had a substantial economic impact on the honey production of domestic hives-even after spreading throughout 10 states.
The analysis, published online by the journal of Ecological Economics, seems to indicate virtually no hive loss to the bees — any economic loss was likely due to the cost of preventive measures taken by hive keepers to keep the Africanized bees away, said Charles Moss, one of the analysts behind the report and a professor in UF’s department of food and resource economics. (more…)
