Buzzin Bizarre

The Yellow Crazy Ants is having a devastating impact on the ecosystem.  They are one of the largest invasive ant species in the world and were accidentally introduced to northern Australia and Christmas Island in the Indian Ocean.  Christmas Island is home to a group of endemic animals plus many species of land crabs and seabirds.

Christmas Island had a unique ecosystem and was practically untouched until the invasion of the ants around 1915-1934.  by the 1990’s, they had created super-colonies and occupied almost 30% of the rain forest on the island.

The red ground crab that inhabits the island, have to cross the ants territory whilst migrating, which of course disturbs the ants who attack.  The ants react by spraying formic acid at the crabs which blinds them and they either starve to death or get eaten by the predators.  The crab is no longer seen on many parts of the island where these super-colonies exist and it is estimated that the ants have actually killed 20million of them.

Birds native to the island are also suffering and one the Christmas Island Frigate Bird is expected to decline by 80% over the next decade or more.  The birds are known to attack hatchlings as well as harassing the adults in their nests.

If the birds and crabs disappear the whole ecological system breaks down.  The crab not only cleans up the forest grounds, but they turn the soil while burrowing, fertilising it with their droppings.  While the birds are replanting the forest by eating the seeds and depositing their droppings, giving new plant life.

Here is a short clip, could they overtake the world!