Roanoke Times
Copyright (c) 1995, Landmark Communications, Inc.
DATE: SUNDAY, October 9, 1994 TAG: 9410220044
SECTION: EXTRA PAGE: 12 EDITION: METRO
SOURCE: PATRICIA HELD
DATELINE: LENGTH: Medium
Sometimes the migration is caused by human manipulation and alterations. Most of us believe that we are capable of improving upon nature. We will carry birds across continents because we think they are pretty, or as in the case of the starling, because they have a sweet song. Exotic game animals are introduced into the wild for sport. And several insect species were brought here from foreign lands as hitchhikers on exotic plant and animal products.
Unfortunately, the idea of rearranging the Earth's wild creatures seems to be irresistible. From birds to exotic game animals and pets, man has scoured this planet in search of new species to bring home and enrich their lives.
In the 1950s, someone thought that the handsome black squirrel found in the northern latitudes would be an interesting addition to the local landscape near Kent, Ohio. The initial breeding stock prospered, and today this black squirrel variety can be found in areas throughout the United States and Canada.
The striped bass was taken from the shores of the Northeast and carried to the San Francisco coast in the late 1800s. The fish multiplied quickly, and within a decade the striped bass was so plentiful that the fish was sold at the marketplace. Brown trout and ring-necked pheasant also were successful introductions. Both of these species have thrived and had a major impact on sportsmen.
Unfortunately, all introductions are not as successful. Sentimentalists thought that rabbits would be a nice addition in Australia. Within a short period of time, Australians were overrun with the long-earred creatures. The gypsy moth was imported into the States for its ability to spin silk, but we have been fighting their infestations ever since.
House finches, native to the Southwest, were introduced to the Northeast via pet stores. Today, they threaten to take over the habitat of our native purple finch.
Although the success stories are few and the failures many, our efforts to alter the environment continue.
Sometimes species are introduced unintentionally. Rats and mice were carried around the world in ships' holds. Insects, notorious for their mass invasions, traveled on clothing, livestock and food stuff. They often thrived on their homes and caused serious infestations.
Now, with today's strict quarantine regulations, we have been able to control insect infestations to some degree. Illegal imports do take their toll, and from time to time we find ourselves faced with yet another new animal pest to worry about.
Sometimes animals move on their own accord. The cattle egret, a magnificent bird of South Asia and Africa, was unknown to the New World until the early 1900s, when one turned up 2,000 miles away from home. By the 1950s, it had spread as far as the East Coast, and today the cattle egret thrives in many parts of the United States.
Here in our own area we are experiencing an animal on the move right now. Slowly but surely the coyote is coming through Virginia and settling in. The coyote and the red fox compete for the same food and habitat. Usually the coyote wins, and the red fox is forced to move on.
Everywhere, birds, insects and other animals are on the march, moving into new areas and amazing people by their unexpected appearance. Whether by man's doing or by changes in their environment, a new tide of animal life is constantly emerging. Some of this change is for the better, but more often it is to the detriment of our local species.
by CNB