In 1940, a creature sneaked into an island in the USA and devoured everything. Today, only **two of the most feared species** by humans coexist alone.
In **Guam**, an island of the United States in the Pacific, the presence of **brown tree snakes** has triggered a **drastic ecological transformation**.
These snakes arrived in the 1940s, possibly aboard a cargo ship, and have almost wiped out all the **native bird species**, which had no defenses against these **insatiable predators**.
## Consequences of the Snake Invasion
The elimination of birds has left Guam’s forests without their vital **ecological function of seed dispersal**, affecting the natural regeneration of trees. Without birds, the ground is covered with dried leaves and unconsumed fruits, showing the lack of new shoots.
## Spider Explosion
The absence of birds has allowed the **proliferation of spiders**, especially the **Argyrodes species**, which have taken advantage of the lack of predators.
The spiders have transformed the forest into a landscape dominated by webs that cover the **vegetation with dense cobwebs**.
## Control Efforts
Despite efforts to control the population of **snakes through poisoned baits** and “snake-proof” climbing methods, these have had limited success.
There are over two million brown tree snakes in Guam, and only a few controlled areas, such as Andersen Air Force Base, have managed to **limit their presence**.
## Impact on the Ecosystem
With a forest losing its diversity and an unbalanced food chain, Guam has become a **natural laboratory** where species interactions have disintegrated. The new dynamics, controlled by invaders, **are redefining the ecosystem**.
## Reflections on Island Ecosystems
Guam’s fate raises questions about the fragility of island ecosystems and the lasting impact of **invasive species**.
The island is a somber testimony to the power of invasive forces to reshape the **boundaries of nature**, leaving an unrecognizable ecosystem, defined by silence and inhabited by two of the most feared species.
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