rats

Boca Raton council votes 3-2 to impose $100 minimum fine for feeding iguanas, rats, mice and pigeons under new Florida ordinance

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Boca Raton council votes 3-2 to impose $100 minimum fine for feeding iguanas, rats, mice and pigeons under new Florida ordinance

Boca Raton, Florida, has voted to make feeding iguanas and other nuisance animals a punishable offence. The city council passed a new ordinance by a narrow 3-2 margin, introducing a $100 citation for anyone who feeds iguanas, rats, mice or pigeons in a way likely to draw or sustain large groups of them. Bird feeders … Read more

Scientists removed kangaroo rats from desert plots for 13 years, revealing how the rodents shape vegetation in the Chihuahuan Desert

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Scientists removed kangaroo rats from desert plots for 13 years, revealing how the rodents shape vegetation in the Chihuahuan Desert

PC: Connor Long/Wikipedia In the Chihuahuan Desert, kangaroo rats play an important role in shaping vegetation. Between 1977 and 1990, researchers excluded three kangaroo rat species from experimental plots to see how their absence affected plants and other animals. The 13-year experiment found that two grasses became significantly more abundant in plots without the rodents … Read more

In 2013, St Agnes and Gugh began removing invasive rats brought by 18th-century shipwrecks; 12 years later, Manx shearwater breeding sites rose from 22 to a record 225

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In 2013, St Agnes and Gugh began removing invasive rats brought by 18th-century shipwrecks; 12 years later, Manx shearwater breeding sites rose from 22 to a record 225

In the latest 2025 monitoring data, St Agnes and Gugh recorded 225 apparently occupied breeding sites (AOBs) for Manx shearwaters In 2013, a major conservation effort began on St Agnes and Gugh in the Isles of Scilly to remove brown rats that had been harming nesting seabirds. According to the Isles of Scilly Wildlife Trust, … Read more

After years of invasive rats threatening island wildlife, Tuvalu removed them from six islets; residents are now seeing birds and coconut crabs return

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After years of invasive rats threatening island wildlife, Tuvalu removed them from six islets; residents are now seeing birds and coconut crabs return

On small islands scattered across the Pacific, changes in wildlife can be surprisingly easy to notice. A few more birds along the shoreline, coconut crabs appearing where they had become scarce, or native animals moving through places they once avoided can all point to a shift in the balance of an ecosystem. In Tuvalu, that … Read more

Alaska eradicated rats from a 6,869-acre Aleutian island more than two centuries after they arrived in a shipwreck; within two years some native bird populations had increased 200% or more and missing seabirds began returning

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Alaska eradicated rats from a 6,869-acre Aleutian island more than two centuries after they arrived in a shipwreck; within two years some native bird populations had increased 200% or more and missing seabirds began returning

Alaska eradicated rats from a 6,869-acre Aleutian island More than two centuries after a shipwreck brought non-native rats to a remote Alaskan island, removing the invasive rodents has led to a rapid recovery of wildlife across the 6,869-acre island in the Aleutian archipelago. According to monitoring reports and press releases from the United States Fish … Read more

In 2017, Antigua and Barbuda removed invasive rats and goats from Redonda; by 2023, vegetation biomass rose over 2,000% and ground dragons increased 13-fold

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In 2017, Antigua and Barbuda removed invasive rats and goats from Redonda; by 2023, vegetation biomass rose over 2,000% and ground dragons increased 13-fold

Redonda had become a thriving haven for wildlife within a few years, and now it has received a major new layer of protection. For years, Redonda resembled more a barren moonscape than a tropical Caribbean island. Its vegetation was destroyed, its native wildlife was wiped out, and the marine ecosystem around it was harmed by … Read more

In 2024, Palau removed invasive rats from Ulong Island; one year later, fish biomass rose 183% and leaf nitrogen increased about 80% at one reef site

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In 2024, Palau removed invasive rats from Ulong Island; one year later, fish biomass rose 183% and leaf nitrogen increased about 80% at one reef site

Data from Ulong Island, Koror Republic of Palau shows that seabirds are returning (Representational AP photo) The return of seabirds to a small island in Palau has brought an unexpected benefit. Just one year after invasive rats were removed from Ulong Island, researchers have found that nearby coral reefs are also beginning to recover.The study … Read more