Feral or Ferrrrall!

Feral is a term used to describe a wild version of a domesticated animal or an invasive species. (All ferals are invasive but not all invasives are ferals.)
Ferrall!! is what you or your friend say to describe a horrible, disgusting, rude, or occasionally epic event or experience.

These are some of the many ferals and invasives that live in Australia.

Young Adult Cane Toad

Cane Toads- this is probably the most famous case of an introduced species that has caused problems. It is featured in textbooks everywhere as why humans should be extremely careful or not interfere by introducing new species intentionally. The cane toads were introduced to eat the cane-beetle which was damaging the sugar can crop. The toad has no natural predators, it secretes a poisonous toxin from glands behind their necks, and can lay hundreds of eggs in puddles too small for other amphibians to utilize. All of these factors makes them an extremely successful species. Unfortunately this leads them to out compete and eat native amphibians. They aren't picky either they consume native insects, reptiles, and when they get big enough, even birds and mammals. Their extent and massive ability to reproduce makes it impossible to eradicate them. Containment involves events where volunteers go toad bashing and prizes are given to those who bring in the most dead cane toads.

Cactus- Prickly-pear cactus is considered one of the most noxious weeds in Australia. It was transplanted from the Americas for gardens and as a potential hedge plant. It escaped from these plantings and began out competing local vegetation. To control it cactoblast caterpillars were introduced which only eat the prickly pear cactus. Now both populations come and go in waves but, the cactus is still a pervasive problem.

Pigs- Feral Pigs are one of the most destructive feral species in Australia. Their feeding habits and behavior damage plants and animals and they eat whatever they can find. When they eat plants the use their snouts to dig up the soil and get to the roots and shoots of tasty native plants. Like cane toads they will eat whatever native animals they are big enough to swallow. This includes endangered species such as sea turtles. They are fast, smart, adaptable, and produce large litters of piglets all year round. They travel in groups and lead to wide spread environmental and agriculture degradation. Different management plans try to keep them from spreding/invading new areas using fences. To control in areas they have already entered they are hunted, culled, and trapped.

Domestic Camels: the same type as the feral camels

Camels- these fuzzy beasties are definitely one of my favorite ferals. Camels were brought to Australia's arid areas to transport people and goods before automobiles. One of the stories associated with how the camels became feral is that when the automobile was introduced no one (the rich people developing arid Australia) wanted to use the camels. The handlers were ordered to kill their camels but instead they let them go. Since camels are browsers and grazers that need little to no drinking water they adapted to the climate well. The negative impacts they have occur to vegetation and water places. Because their numbers have increased so much over the years they have the potential to over use certain species of vegetation and cause those species to become extinct. During drought, they are driven like other creatures to seek refuge in waterholes. All these camels in one place causes damage to the plants and the quality of the water. There is currently a management plan in development and camels are considered a useful feral because of its meat and that it can be re-domesticated.

All of these species put added pressures on native species by introducing diseases and new invasive plants or weeds. These coupled with pressures from humans, like development, or environmental disasters such as cyclones.
These pressures increase the chances of endangered species becoming extinct, and non-threatened species to become endangered.

This is why it is so important to prevent new invasives or ferals from moving in to an area and develop management plans for those already there.

The source for much of this information came from http://www.environment.gov.au/biodiversity/invasive/ferals/index.html. This is also a great website for more information on these and other ferals. The images are my own photographs.