Guam is entirely infested with spiders, and it’s all the fault of invasive snakes

Guam is entirely infested with spiders, and it’s all the fault of invasive snakes | Grist

grist.org 14 Sep '12, 8pm

Guam is entirely infested with spiders, and it’s all the fault of invasive snakes

This is my attempt to illustrate this story without utterly traumatizing anyone. (Photo courtesy of Hollywood Diecast .) The island of Guam has up to 40 times the normal number of spiders — on average, about one spiderweb every two feet during the rainy season. And if that’s not enough, it’s also infested with brown tree snakes. That’s not a coincidence . According to a study published in PLoS , Guam’s spider explosion comes from its lack of bug-eating birds, which in turn comes from its overabundance of the invasive snakes, which were introduced to the island in the 1940s. On the one hand, this sucks for Guam — they’ve lost 10 of 12 native bird species, and all they got in return is snakes and spiders. It’s like the middle of a Disney movie, before the hero arrives to scare off the witch. On the other hand, it’s good news for the scientists, who at least get to use the is...

Full article: http://grist.org/list/guam-is-entirely-infested-with-spid...

Tweets

@Wilson_Energy » 21 Sep '12, 4pm
Read this, if you consider “covered in spiders” to be a subset of “screwed.” [link] #LoveBirds
@Dan_Anthony_DC » 17 Sep '12, 2am
This @AtlanticCities article on Guam/snakes/spiders makes me appreciate pigeons/other birds more [link] #cityreads
@Mercian9 » 16 Sep '12, 11am
RT @greenforyou: Snakes Turn Guam Into Spider Horror Show #green [link] <Really serious, but made me laugh. #stupidhumans
@matthewshirts » 16 Sep '12, 11am
scary! “@greenforyou: How Invasive Snakes Have Turned Guam Into a Spider-Infested Horror Show #green [link]”
@greenforyou » 16 Sep '12, 11am
How Invasive Snakes Have Turned Guam Into a Spider-Infested Horror Show #green [link]
@NNosek83 » 16 Sep '12, 1am
[link] #GuamLife @PhoebeRios
@Conrad_CH » 15 Sep '12, 4pm
Guam is entirely infested with spiders, and it’s all the fault of invasive snakes [link] #yikes
@lmalberts13 » 15 Sep '12, 4pm
My. Hell. "In Guam, an overabundance of invasive snakes has led to a 40-fold overabundance of spiders. How peaceful. [link]
@agiamba » 15 Sep '12, 4pm
"@AtlanticCities: In Guam, overabundance of invasive snakes led to a 40-fold overabundance of spiders [link]" @Champalada ???
@AtlanticCities » 15 Sep '12, 4pm
In Guam, an overabundance of invasive snakes has led to a 40-fold overabundance of spiders. How peaceful. [link] #cityreads
@michaelmeehan » 15 Sep '12, 12am
On arachnophobia, snakes, and the persistent hubris that we can mess with natural systems [link]
@joshumar » 14 Sep '12, 10pm
Guam vacation cancelled RT "@grist: Guam is entirely infested with spiders, and it’s all the fault of invasive snakes [link]"
@rkyletodd » 14 Sep '12, 8pm
@dgibber123 don't plan a visit MT @grist: Guam is entirely infested w/ spiders, & it’s all the fault of invasive snakes [link]
@CattyClysmic » 14 Sep '12, 8pm
RT @grist: Guam is entirely infested with spiders, and it’s all the fault of invasive snakes [link]
@gristlist » 14 Sep '12, 8pm
Guam is entirely infested with spiders, and it’s all the fault of invasive snakes [link]
@greenpowerplan » 18 Sep '12, 12pm
How Invasive Snakes Have Turned Guam Into a Spider-Infested Horror Show [link]
@trover » 16 Sep '12, 11pm
RT @grist: Guam is entirely infested with spiders, and it’s all the fault of invasive snakes [link]
@10snut » 16 Sep '12, 11am
RT @greenforyou: How Invasive Snakes Have Turned Guam Into a Spider-Infested Horror Show #green [link]
@SJenkins » 15 Sep '12, 12am
RT @grist: Guam is entirely infested with spiders, and it’s all the fault of invasive snakes [link]
@muschifuss998 » 14 Sep '12, 10pm
RT @grist: Guam is entirely infested with spiders, and it’s all the fault of invasive snakes [link]
@Vegan_Giant » 14 Sep '12, 9pm
RT @grist: Guam is entirely infested with spiders, and it’s all the fault of invasive snakes [link]
@ndngenuity » 14 Sep '12, 9pm
RT @grist: Guam is entirely infested with spiders, and it’s all the fault of invasive snakes [link]
@DrSeaRotmann » 14 Sep '12, 9pm
RT @grist: Guam is entirely infested with spiders, and it’s all the fault of invasive snakes [link]
@MooreCO2 » 14 Sep '12, 8pm
RT @grist: Guam is entirely infested with spiders, and it’s all the fault of invasive snakes [link]
@northrunnnercan » 14 Sep '12, 8pm
RT @grist: Guam is entirely infested with spiders, and it’s all the fault of invasive snakes [link]
@Eradona » 14 Sep '12, 8pm
RT @grist: Guam is entirely infested with spiders, and it’s all the fault of invasive snakes [link]
@ALPHA456 » 14 Sep '12, 8pm
RT @grist: Guam is entirely infested with spiders, and it’s all the fault of invasive snakes [link]
@janet_ewan » 14 Sep '12, 8pm
RT @grist: Guam is entirely infested with spiders, and it’s all the fault of invasive snakes [link]
@grist » 14 Sep '12, 8pm
Guam is entirely infested with spiders, and it’s all the fault of invasive snakes [link]

Guam is entirely infested with spiders, and it’s all the fault of invasive snakes | Grist

Guam is entirely infested with spiders, and it’s all the fault of invasive snakes

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