Many non-native species in Florida and other parts of the world have become so commonplace and blend in so well with the natural ecosystem, that many natives to the area don’t even realize they are in the presence of relative newcomers. Others make their presence known fiercely, eradicating those who stand in their path and causing horrific and permanent impacts to the original ecosystem. While scientists can attempt to predict the results of such introductions and avoid any negative consequences, nature is at heart unpredictable.

Though no one can predict the results of introducing non-native species to new environments, it is the result of human involvement in nearly all instances. There are generally five major reasons why non-native species are introduced intentionally:

1. To make money – Most commonly, the introduction of non-native species has economic motivations. Fish have been introduced as sources of food, mammals as sources of fur, and even trees as sources of lumber.
2. To remind people of home – Though not so much the case in present day, in the past some species were brought along with immigrants as they started lives in new places. Though the intentions were often innocent, the effects could be detrimental.
3. To look nice – Sometimes species are brought to new places for reasons as simple as their aesthetic appeal. This is more often the case with plants, which are sometimes transported for decorative purposes.
4. To provide sport – This is more often the case with fish, for example, when brown trout were brought over to America from England. In some instances, the introduction of a single non-native species can bring both financial and recreational gains.
5. To solve problems – In modern times, this is why invasive species are most commonly introduced – with good intentions and to solve a current economic or ecologic problem. For instance, one such invasive species that poses a particular threat in South Florida, the cane toad, was initially introduced to control sugar cane beetle populations that were decimating crops.

It’s important to remember that while you can pinpoint various reasons for intentional release of non-native species, not all instances involve intentional release. Furthermore, because the original source can be so difficult to pinpoint, it can be difficult to truly know whether release was accidental or not. A good example is the Burmese python, another invasive species that can be found throughout the Everglades. While there is much speculation, it is actually unclear whether the Burmese python explosion in South Florida was the result of the snakes finding their way onto ships headed from Asia to Miami or simply the result of locals releasing their unwanted pets into the wild.

Fortunately, the Florida Everglades has many beautiful and unique native species that still call the area “home.” These include American alligators, flamingoes, and the Florida panther, just to name a few. To view any of these magnificent animals in their natural habitats, as well as possibly one or two species that don’t belong, take an airboat ride through the Everglades with Captain Mitch. Florida swampland tours were meant to be enjoyed by the entire family, and offer plenty of educational opportunities as well as entertainment.

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Tegus originally came to Florida through the pet trade from South America, and have only been spotted in the wild in Florida since 2008, where they first made an appearance roaming a trailer park just south of Miami. Whether they found their way into the wild through intentional or accidental release is uncertain, but because the number of wild tegus caught in Florida has increased from 13 a year to over 400 a year since 2009, their population throughout South Florida is definitely on the rise.

Tegus have been popular pets for many years, and for good reason. They are highly intelligent and quite beautiful – their black and white beaded appearance causes them to resemble a Moroccan rug – and they can even become quite tame and docile with enough handling and interaction with humans. Many tegus that are caught by trappers in the Everglades are even brought back into the pet trade rather than simply euthanized, because these lizards are so well loved as pets.

Tegus have adapted well to the warm weather and wetlands of the Everglades, especially as they have both an abundance of food in the area and an almost complete lack of predators to hunt them. The black and white tegus love both lizard and bird eggs, and have also been known to dine on small mammals, insects, and fruit – all items that are plentiful in the Everglades. This is not good news for natives to the Everglades, especially as so many species in the area are already on the verge of extinction. What makes these reptiles particularly dangerous to the local wildlife is their tolerance of cold temperatures, allowing populations to expand within large habitat ranges while also surviving potential deep freezes that, while rare, do occasionally occur in Florida.

Some scientists believe that while the Burmese python population is so well-established in Florida that it is essentially a lost cause, that there may still be hope for the relatively new population of Argentine black and white tegus to be contained and eventually eliminated. Like in the case of any invasive species, it was humans that brought them here and it is up to us to take them away before the species that truly belong in the area find they no longer have a home here.

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