On a US island, a creature entered and devoured everything, now only two of the most feared species coexist.

Most read

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**.

![Devour everything they find": the US island with over two million snakes | Teletica](https://ichef.bbci.co.uk/news/raw/cpsprodpb/5e28/live/ec65def0-988b-11ef-82c3-45a801b7330b.jpg)
## 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.

Have you visited our YouTube channel yet? Subscribe now!

Latest news

They manage to create the formula for building with eco-friendly pavement.

The Industrial University of Santander (UIS) has obtained a new patent granted by the Superintendence of Industry and Commerce...

Related news