Two invasive species, the American bullfrog and the brown tree snake, cost the world an estimated $16 billion between 1986 and 2020, by causing problems ranging from crop damage to power outages, according to a study published in Scientific Reports.
The brown-and-green frog, known as lithobates catesbeianus and weighs over two pounds (0.9 kg), had the greatest impact in Europe, according to research published in Scientific Reports.
The brown tree snake, known as boiga irregularis, has multiplied uncontrollably on Pacific islands including Guam and the Mariana Islands, where the species was introduced by the U.S. troops in World War II, said Ismael Soto, the study’s lead researcher.
The snakes have, at times, been so abundant that they caused power outages by crawling on electrical equipment, he said. This signals the need for investment controlling global transport of invasive species to avoid paying for mitigation after the invasions occur, he added.
“We propose continuously updating the black list of forbidden species for trade,” Mr. Soto told Reuters.
