New study identifies several potential invasive species in Florida

Invasive species alert sign — Courtesy: Shutterstock — Image by: Jules Johnson A study headed by scientists at the University of Florida sought to identify species that might be invasive to the state.  The group of specialists examined 460 species, comprising scientists, government entities, and nonprofits. Based on their propensity to establish and proliferate throughout

Green iguana causes ‘large scale’ power outage in Florida city

Green iguana sitting by lake — Courtesy: Shutterstock — Image by: Lacey Lin Photography Officials in a South Florida city said an iguana was at fault for causing a “large scale” power outage this past week. Beach Electric Utility crews responded to the pesky outage on Wednesday afternoon in Lake Worth, Florida. “[Lake Worth Beach]

Giant flying Joro spider multiplying across the East Coast could soon invade Florida

Joro spider, a type of orb-weaver spider native to Japan — Courtesy: Shutterstock — Dave Hansche Americans living on the East Coast may soon find themselves facing an invasion of giant flying spiders. Large enough to cover the palm of your hand, the Joro spider is quite intimidating. But will these creatures pose a problem

Giant invasive Burmese pythons are slithering their way up Florida

Burmese Pythons — Courtesy: Shutterstock — Heiko Kiera Following several years of close speculation, invasive Burmese pythons have been spotted making their way up north in Florida. “We have finally, unhappily, sighted a Burmese python in the interior of the refuge,” University of Florida wildlife professor Frank Mazzotti, who heads Fort Lauderdale’s Croc Docs research team,

Florida invasive species battle continues as FWC bans “high-risk” reptiles from commercial breeding and pet ownership

Green Iguana – Courtesy: Image by Scottslm from Pixabay In a unanimous vote Thursday, the Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission voted on a new set of rules that would ban the commercial breeding practice and ownership of 16 “high-risk” reptiles in the state. The rule would allow current high-risk reptile owners to keep the

South American “River Monster” found along Caloosahatchee River

Courtesy: Smithsonian’s National Zoo & Conservation Biology Institute Florida has dinosaur-like gators, invasive lizards, record-breaking Burmese Pythons, and just about anything else you can think of in its diverse ecological system. As if that weren’t enough to cause residents and tourists to worry when visiting their favorite state parks and attractions, there’s one more creature