Englischverständnis für fortgeschrittene Anfänger – Buch 1

because they hunt and kill many animals, such as: water voles, kingfishers (a rare type of bird) and crayfish (a kind of small lobster).
    Another example of an escaped invasive species is the Burmese python in Florida, USA. Burmese pythons are native to many parts of Southeast Asia and southern regions of China. They are endangered in Southeast Asia where they are hunted for their skins and captured for sale as exotic pets. They can grow to 5.5 m long and weigh over 91 kg, making them one of the world's largest snakes. They have light brown skin and dark red or brown blotches outlined in black. The snakes were kept as pets but some escaped into the wild. There are now at least five thousand Burmese pythons in Florida and they have reduced the number of native species, e.g. racoons, alligators, deer etc. by hunting and eating them.
    Not all invasive species have escaped into the wild, some were introduced on purpose. One such example is the cane toad. The cane toad is a large toad which is native to Central and South America, but which has been introduced to various islands throughout Oceania and the Caribbean. Originally, cane toads were used to eradicate insects from sugar cane and this is where they got their name. However, they are now considered a pest because they kill many other animals. Another problem is that they are highly poisonous to any animal which kills and eats them.
    So far we have heard about escaping animals and humans deliberately introducing animals into an ecosystem. However, there is a third way that invasive species colonise a new environment – by hitchhiking !
    One example of a ‘hitchhiking’ invasive species is
carcinus maenas
(known as the ‘green crab’ in the US and the ‘shore crab’ in the UK). This crab arrives in new habitats by taking a ride on ships, hiding in packaging and clinging to driftwood. It is native to the north-east Atlantic Ocean and Baltic Sea, but it has colonised similar habitats in Australia, South Africa, South America and North America.
    The main disadvantage of invasive animal species is that they disrupt the new ecosystem. This may be because they kill native animals or eat native plants and crops. Because of this, many governments are trying to eradicate invasive species. However, these species are very adaptive and getting rid of them can be difficult, not to mention expensive. Will some of these animals become permanent residents in their new homes? Or will they be evicted ? Only time will tell…
    Click here to watch a short video on invasive species
     
    Glossary
    native – being from a place. gebürtig, heimisch
    factors - a circumstance, fact, or influence that contributes to a result or outcome. Faktoren
    phenomenon – a remarkable person or thing. Phänomen
    on purpose – done intentionally, not by accident. absichtlich
    to breed – to reproduce, used for animals and not people. sich vermehren, sich fortpflanzen
    descendants – a person, plant, or animal that is descended from a particular  ancestor. Nachkommen
    blotches – patches, mark. Flecken
    reduced – ‘to reduce’, to make less. reduzieren, verringern
    to eradicate – to kill all of them. auslöschen
    hitchhiking – ‘to hitchhike’, to travel by getting free rides in passing vehicles. per Anhalter fahren, trampen
    habitats – a particular type of environment regarded as a home for animals and plants. Lebensräume
    packaging – materials used to wrap or protect goods. Verpackung
    disrupt – ‘to disrupt’, seriously change or destroy the structure of something. stören, unterbrechen
    evicted – ‘to evict’, to expel someone from a property in a legal way.  zwangsräumen
     
    Questions about the text
    1. Why were cane toads introduced to new places?
    2. Name an invasive species that has been introduced to Great Britain.
    3. Which birds do mink hunt and kill?
    4. Which animals do Burmese pythons feed on?
    5. Why are cane toads dangerous to other animals?
    6. Before they escaped, why were Burmese pythons in Florida?
    7. Which three continents has the green crab colonised?
    8. Why did people farm mink?
    9. Where are camels found as an invasive species?
    10. True or false – Mink are brown.
    Click here to check your answers.

Cleopatra
     

    © Castaveron | Dreamstime Stock Photos & Stock Free Images
     
    Cleopatra is one of the best known women in history. She has inspired films, plays, books, monuments and songs – but who was she really? What were the details of