Finding Invasive Animals in Florida!

[@wanna_be_goth1030]

Good news!! I’m a biologist and that snail at 8:14 is native!! It’s a cellar snail. Invasive snails are a HUGE problem bc they breed so much so it’s great to see a native species in its home in Florida

[@high-bi-password]

Ahhh this makes me happy, especially as a casual snail enthusiast

[@veiledpets1270]

I heard that African land snails are now being found all over Florida. I worked at a Petco in SC and someone brought one in looking to find a tank for it (not knowing what it was) and after i informed them they told me they recently caught it while visiting family in Florida…needless to say this is going to be detrimental to crops :(

[@forrestfey]

Wow, the ecology of Florida is a mess.

[@scrunglenut6222]

floridian and herper here. that is definitely not a cellar snail, its way too big. that's a brown garden snail and it is indeed invasive, you can tell from the color as well. I catch them often and theyre always on brick walls.

[@Lilly-ql6wd]

Good to know that is cool

[@kim2073]

Ahh, the staple of any Floridian childhood: destroying fire ant mounds, watching them go crazy, and inevitably getting stung

[@khills]

That little girl is going to LOVE videos of casting fire ant mounds with aluminium. 😂

[@CelticStar87]

Childhood? I still thoroughly enjoy doing this as an adult 😂

[@Dodl1]

Why do you do that exactly?

[@Caviidae]

@@Dodl1 I guess it would be kinda fun, and they're harmful so its not entirely a bad thing

[@draconidzinnia]

@@Dodl1 I was born in Florida and lived there for 13 years. We always messed with the fire ants because of the amount of times we watched them kill native anoles, field mice, etc. Native animals. We couldn't interfere because that would mean reaching our whole hands into fire ant mounds. They suck. It is in fact a staple of Floridian lives to mess their homes up and kill them on sight

[@thenotsotalented1]

Cats are fantastic predators and excellent breeders. Keep them inside. No matter how sad you are about them being inside its way sadder to see them squished on a road, or being put down by the dozen, or destroying your local ecosystems

[@infpdreams]

Agreed. Lots of play, puzzle feeders, open screened windows for fresh air, basking spots near windows, and even a few indoor NON-POISONOUS (do your research, people!!!) plants can do wonders to keep them stimulated. Mine occasionally come out to sit on the porch, but are happy to come back inside in a few minutes. Cats absolutely can lead happy lives indoors. Also, please spay and neuter them unless you know for certain that you can put the kittens in good homes-the less feral ones, abandoned to live outdoors, the less ecosystem destruction! (Just adding to this person's great comment!)

[@julialungan4722]

And if you really wamt them to visit the putside, try a harness!

[@squeakybgaming]

I wonder what about cats makes people want them but NOT want them enough to put them out.

[@midnandlinkforever]

You can also harness train your cat and go on backyard adventures together :)

[@KOKO-uu7yd]

I've walked (and still do) both my cats each night it's not too cold.

[@DuchessCassanda]

Yes! Cats or Burmese pythons. We have gone completely cat containment where I live (like literally the whole city) since 2021 and it's so amazing to see all the native parrots florishing here.

[@cooldudenibb]

That’s awesome!!

[@surdyk123]

I live in south Florida and I didn’t even realize some of these were invasive species because of how often I’ve seen them!

[@06Violet29]

Same, I didn't know those ducks were invasive. My neighborhood is full of them.

[@carolrichardson8840]

Those ducks have been around for 100 of years they dont quake like a duck and they don't honk like a goose they perch in trees they come in alot od different colors and there meat tastes like roast beef I use to own them

[@JosephsJungle8]

They’re not even ducks

[@voodooray]

you should see the invasive fish population, pretty much it it was kept in an aquarium once it can be found in the water

[@JosephsJungle8]

@@voodooray fish aren’t that damaging except for heavily predatory ones like snakeheads which aren’t kept in aquaria you probably mean plecos or guppies which aren’t harmful as plecos are mostly herbivorous and guppies are a prey species

[@zorohorse215]

Catios are become more popular as a great alternative for cats who insist on being outdoors. Its safer for the cat and native wildlife!

[@zessonateacloud]

Thank you! Finally not someone demonizing letting cat get outside time in these comments.

[@Black-Swan-007]

I want a catio so bad. Unfortunately, I currently live in an underground apartment. But one day I will have a catio!

[@zorohorse215]

@@Black-Swan-007 I hope one day to get one as well! Thankfully there are so many variations and options when designing one!

[@TheChildofAuraReborn]

@@zessonateacloud I don't think anyone was demonizing letting cats have outdoor enrichment, we're saying do it the PROPER way, with harness training or catios or supervised time, instead of just opening the door and letting your cat roam around the neighborhood out of sight. People STILL get mad at the suggestion of catios/harness training.

[@reedreinfeld3737]

As someone that lives in Florida… I can personally attest to fire ant stings / bites. I stepped in a nest, got bitten by a couple dozen and I ended up in the ICU for nearly two weeks. THEY MUST GO!!

[@kitkatthe2tails542]

I haven’t had it that bad but when out fishing I occasionally get stung/bit. One bite will literally leave a SCAR on me for years!

[@reedreinfeld3737]

@@kitkatthe2tails542 this is very true!

[@GlowingTrashPanda99]

I will always remember ending up absolutely covered in fire ants after stepping on a nest during recess on my first day of preschool. I got called Ant Girl the rest of the year. Your story still wins, though.

[@amandadeprey4250]

I also have an ICU fire ant story. I wasn’t in Florida 😢they are the worst!!!

[@Ariel-lol]

Ouch!! I’ve gotten bitten a few times but never to that extreme

[@philippak7726]

I'd go for the fire ants. Sadly I know how much damage cats can do (New Zealand) but I also know that if you're eliminating invasives, you have to go from smallest to biggest to actually fix the issues.

[@Somedude20282]

Bingo

[@SlammyWinchester]

Fire ants are so terrible in Florida.

[@PP7Silenced]

Like in Halo. Starving the enemy is the only guarantee. I know it's a random reference. Haha.

[@TheChildofAuraReborn]

@@PP7Silenced Forerunner reference to the purpose of the Halo rings. I got it.

[@IDK-y1n]

@@SlammyWinchester arent they terrible everywhere?

[@dgbexotics]

As a native floridian, I find it funny how the beginning of the video implies that might be a challenge to find these invasives 😂 we've got EVERYTHING lol

[@marynaradchenko3724]

lol

[@KerriGilpin]

Right?! It’s kind of ridiculous how many of each category are even in most back yards! Don’t even get me started on invasive plants 🤦🏼‍♀️

[@forsidious]

4:20 Ed's comment on whether hippos will evolve back to live in the water is funny because hippos have a very fun closest living relative that did exactly that.....whales!

[@nielsleenknegt5839]

But dont Hippo's go out at night and graze grass?

[@Mag3.1415]

@@nielsleenknegt5839yeah and they also can’t swim (they just walk on the bottom of rivers)

[@madisontapp5623]

Those fire ants with wings WERE actually future kings and queens! (Not that the males live long enough to be king.) Those are the breeding elates who will go on to establish new colonies.

[@DiavalGar]

Omg thank you for talking about the cat problem! It's a problem literally everywhere and as a responsible indoor/outdoor leash cat owner it makes me so frustrated everytime irresponsible cat owners just let their cats roam outside. Not only are they horrible for the native wildlife but being outside unattended is so dangerous for them!

[@cooldudenibb]

Thank you for being such a great caretaker of your kitty and steward of the environment :)

[@hylaherping9180]

As a Floridian who removes Cuban Treefrogs from my neighborhood, i can say the froglets are way smaller than the one you found after metamorphosis. Also, the frogs calling during the boar clip, were Southern Chorus Frogs!

[@sergioalanis1099]

As a biologist, I totally agree on being able to talk for hours about why cats are exclusively indoor pets

[@TheFullStar]

Totally agree. There are always people who come with the counter argument “but my cat hunting is pure nature” or “its so saddd to lock them up indoors”

[@jessilovegaara]

As a biologist too, yes

[@greenginger6668]

@@TheFullStarI don’t hesitate to call those people lazy cat owners. If you give your cat proper enrichment it’s not sad to keep them indoors and if you absolutely want to give them the ability to go outdoors you need to invest either time or money into harness training or building a catio.

[@saidahblah]

I have encountered so many uneducated owner who refuse to even consider this... As someone who has had both dogs and cats I find so many cat owners to be incredibly lazy people.. They don't even realize you can walk your cat on a leash everyday to get some fresh air...

[@Jaaae00]

As a cat owner, yes. I let my girl outside WITH supervision/harnessed. The main reasons being I don’t want her getting hurt or stollen, she’s not yet fixed, and I don’t want her killing any birds or anything else

[@c.a.parker5036]

Ed and Emily have gotta be the coolest aunt and uncle ever. 😊

[@_Lemon._11]

Omg yesssss

[@LavenderTownsGhost]

As a Floridian I'm always happy when you guys do a video here! Outdoor/stray cats are a huge issue, my personal 'get rid of the invasive species' would either be Lion fish or Pythons.

[@cjraven552]

My 9 year old granddaughter watched this 22 hours after it was posted. She loves to be up on all of your latest projects!! Thank you for teaching her about reptiles of all kinds. 🙏

[@cautiousculpeo]

I’m a domestic Muscovy owner and their seriously the most adaptable ducks I’ve seen! We’re in Canada and last week it was -50 and they just took it like champs!!! 😮😊 it’s no surprise their invasive! They do have the cutest personalities so it’s sad their kill on site in some states in the US but they are wreaking havoc so I get it 😢

[@jamieblack3235]

Im shocked they are so wide spread. From what I've heard, they are very tasty ducks.

[@cautiousculpeo]

@@jamieblack3235 they are the best dual purpose homestead duck! They taste good, their eggs are great, they reproduce rapidly and at high fertility rates, and they don’t make quacking noises and they aren’t insufferably loud! Their amazing

[@jamieblack3235]

Yeah, im actually planning to trade my geese for some next year. Thats part of why I'm surprised they are invasive.

[@cautiousculpeo]

@@jamieblack3235 enjoy them! They’re such a fun species!

[@simpled5755]

A city I live near has a pond full of Muscovy ducks and there's signs all over saying to drive slow ducks xing. And there's a fine to pay if you kill one of them.

[@speedwaymethadrine]

would totally watch a video about cats - here (finland) cats are kept mostly outdoors and it sucks, they get killed all the time by wildlife and people just replace them with another cat :(

[@khills]

I’ve heard probably the dumbest justification for this recently: “cats” were native to the EU so “deserved” to be outside. 🤦🏼‍♀️🤦🏼‍♀️🤦🏼‍♀️

[@speedwaymethadrine]

yeah, a lot of people also justify keeping their cats outside with "they're predators, they're meant to be outside" - i have seen so many cats get hit by cars, killed by foxes/other predators and the local animal rescue is full of cats with frostbite (we had -30°C last week). keeping cats outside should be considered animal abuse. we take our cat outside in a harness and he is perfectly happy about that.

[@FioreCiliegia]

@@speedwaymethadrineso are dogs but most people will say its because dogs are easier… nope its just people not being responsible

[@KaleMakaiYouji]

​@@khillsthat's so ridiculous though because the common house cat, you know, the ones we keep as pets, haven't been native to any ecosystem in over 10 000 years 🤦🏼‍♀️ so it's pure bs.

[@khills]

@@KaleMakaiYouji IKR? But no, no, it’s okay, because the animals there evolved for the cat… by that logic, bobcats and cougars are in the Americas, and yet. (ESPECIALLY since there are small pockets of those very, very old native cats… and they’re considered VERY different than a house cat!)

[@nugget8967]

If I could change one opinion worldwide, it would be keeping cats outside. Not only is it dangerous for native populations, but it’s dangerous for the cats, too! I’ve had to distract so many cats from walking right up to my dog, a rescue who was never socialized with cats. People are not responsible for your cat if it’s outside, and not everyone is going to go out of their way to keep your animal safe. It’s just so much better for cats to be indoors

[@flarewoodshadow9776]

I know right!! It's too dangerous for them! A couple years back a tuxedo cat got run over by my neighbors daughter in front of their house. I was sad when I saw it, the father saw me and panicking asked if the cat was mine, it wasn't. No body claimed the cat so he and a few other neighbors dug a grave and buried the poor kitty. I also rescued a black cat that was in our property because a big thunderstorm was going to hot and he was outside. I kept him for 2 weeks but nobody claimed him so I took him to an animal shelter.

[@melanopygus]

Agreed. Unless they're a working barn cat, there's no reason for them to be outside.

[@jacksonbutler1828]

​@@melanopygus Even working barn cats do a terrible job and destroy the ecosystem. The amount of birds I find on my adoptive sisters farms that have been killed by the cats FAR outweighs the rats.

[@sme02]

I have a house gecko that my hubby removed from a wall while helping do a house remodel. Safely contained now and doing super well. 😊

[@Annie_Annie__]

Aww, it never occurred to me to keep a house gecko as a pet. Wish I had, lol. Last month I was cleaning my great-aunt’s house (she died a couple months before) and I found a baby house gecko trapped in the kitchen sink. No one had been in the house in weeks, so it was just dumb luck that I found him. He was dehydrated, so I put him in a container with a small piece of sponge soaked in water and a bottle cap of water. I let him calm down in the dark kitchen, then just after sunset I let him go outside my house near my porch light. I’ve seen a few house geckos around since then (they never seem to brumate or anything here. Just hide on days when it’s too cold) so hopefully he’s among them. After I saved him, I watched him for a while, and I loved watching his little heart pump through his skin. It’s always so fascinating that you can almost see right through the young ones.

[@marleedroste7633]

If you are wondering, the large snail you found with the house gecko is likely a juvenille house snail. Also, love herping content, please make more!

[@saraemmer1576]

There are many invasive fish in south florida as well! For example, plecostomus fish were released by careless pet owners back in the 1950’s into our freshwater ways and they get HUGE here!

[@GlowingTrashPanda99]

There are a ton of non-native cichlid populations (both African and South American varieties) all over the state, along with various crazy types of amazonian catfish and clown knife fish. Don't get me started on the snakeheads... A few waterways near Miami even have sizable betta populations now. It's gotten more than kinda insane.

[@iichiigo7751]

Echoing your statement on cats as invasive for sure - I did an entire presentation on their impact on wild animal populations back in high school. As someone who also has two fuzzy ecoterrorists himself, I can't imagine just letting them roam outside knowing how some people treat cats by default. Exposing them to all sorts of hazards on a micro and macro scale and knowing how many small critters they kill, I just can't think of any good reason to let them go outside as they please without a harness.

[@sillyface6950]

I understand it for "barn" cats. Ones on farms where being outside is basically essential. They actually do have a good reason to be there. But for most house cats it seems pretty crazy. We don't do that with any other pets, so why cats 🤔

[@iichiigo7751]

@@sillyface6950 Even in those situations though I think in most cases it's still unfair to both the cat and the local wildlife. Unless access is restricted to the barn, the cat will decimate populations of small animals regardless of whether or not they're pests (rip small birds, amphibians, and reptiles), most are left unspayed/neutered/see regular vet attention in general, and the cat still gets exposed to a number of threats such as diseases, wild animals that will prey on them, and cruel humans who'll do who knows what to them. I''m all for giving cats a job as a mouser, but few people do the work to make sure the pest animals are their only victims and that the cat is kept safe in the process.

[@sillyface6950]

@@iichiigo7751 I put barn in quotations to try make it less misleading but i think I made it more confusing. By barn cats I mean the whole farmyard and not just the barn, restricting them to just a barn would be more unfair (for the feline) unless they are being treated as a house cat. Unlike in other areas where the cats are just pets, although there would still be damage to native species due to not watching the cat 24/7 it would be limited to the farm itself and possibly the close areas if they go that far, as opposed to house cats which live in areas where its either a mix of people and nature (where the cat is likely to cause more damage to native populations, especially birds) or its a busy city full of dangerous roads where the cat is lucky to not get ran over. As for people, farmland doesn't tend to have many strangers unless its one of the ones that's open to the public. However I do also believe that people should be responsible for doing their best to keep their animals as healthy and safe as they can (including vaccinating against diseases and doing vet trips when needed) and do all they can for preventing any accidental breeding, also that animals shouldn't be dumped or left as strays. Its a shame so many humans don't provide the proper care for animals that they own. But at least there's also a lot that do.

[@iichiigo7751]

@sillyface6950 Cats will wander several miles from their homes and roads exist even near farms, as do coyotes and cougars. In fact dangerous predators are more likely in more remote/rural areas. Cats are domesticated and don't belong outside. And in less urban areas they'll likely have more access to non-pest and even endangered animals. And people in the country areas in my personal experience tend to view cats as expendable at best and pests themselves at worst. I'll end it at that. Edit: actually I'll add that an entire barn to explore and run around in is far from cruel if they're given proper amenities i.e. food, water, and things that act as toys. Unless you consider a shed a barn.

[@doll9340]

​​@@sillyface6950what do you mean by that last sentence? What are we doing to cats that we aren't doing to other pets?

[@alteria2714]

That beginning caught me off guard! Also for invasive, I'd probably go for the burms, since they are harder to eradicate compared to cats because they hide

[@ILuvAyeAye]

Feral cats hide too though, and they're particularly difficult to control in areas with not so cold winters, because the cats have a much longer breeding season.

[@beccaroo1990]

​@ILuvAyeAye the burms can eat pretty much anything though & are taking out all kinds of native species & they breed so much.

[@alteria2714]

@@beccaroo1990 that's also part of reasoning, at least cats aren't gonna take down everything!

[@alteria2714]

@@ILuvAyeAye well, they can't hide very deep into sharp grass like burms sometimes can, and in general have less offspring and are overall easier to capture or find, but however you choose is fine! They all gotta go anyways

[@khills]

I agree re pythons-that was my choice, too.

[@animesubya]

Yes with the cats! People don't realize or seem to ignore the damage cats can do.

[@aileen-heatherk5915]

You say Manatee's should be called sea Elephants, but I think you missed that female elephants are called Cows, and males are called Bulls :-) So Cow and Bull would still be attached to elephants 🙂

[@SPW1031W]

Good point! I forgot about that.

[@zebedeemadness2672]

Bull and Cow in Elephants is referring to their sex, Sirenias (Manatees and dugongs) are sea "cow" based on they are typically found in the sea and graze primarily on seagrass.

[@Audreyyyyy-s2i]

Snake discovery is such an amazing channel, Emily and Ed are so sweet, and everyone involved with making these videos work so hard to keep people effectively educated about reptiles!

[@TheChildofAuraReborn]

I could scream over how many people I’ve gotten into arguments with over letting their cats be outdoor cats. They don’t really care about the welfare of their animal if they’re just letting them roam free on the streets. Good cat owners know how to provide their cats with enrichment (harness training, outdoor catios, actually PLAYING with the cat, etc), bad ones make excuses. Edit: Oh boy, the EXACT kind of people I'm talking about have made their way to the comments' section! So let me say this, to the people in the comments who agree that outdoor cats are not only harmful to the cats themselves, but to native wildlife, I'm glad we both understand that. To the people who jumped to hostility and sarcasm: What are you even doing here on Snake Discovery? On a KZbin channel that has constantly taken up the stance to educate people on being responsible pet owners, on a KZbin video that SPECIFICALLY details the effects that both invasive species and neglected outdoor pets have had on the environment?

[@meg2831]

I agree with you

[@philippak7726]

Bells/collars. I'm not going to make excuses, though I try and keep my cat's outdoor time under control, but the fact that most cats I see don't have bells, or collars at all, makes me frustrated. I had one cat who would basically attack you to be able to get outside, he hated being collared but he didn't get a say in it.

[@saidahblah]

My neighbor walks their cat every day on a leash.

[@TravelingStacker]

Don't ever come to any of my family farms then. Most of the cats roam free.

[@Annie_Annie__]

I work at a cat shelter and we only adopt out cats to people planning to keep them indoors only. It is so hard to educate some people about why this is so important. They get really mad over it and insist that cats belong outdoors. But the only way we’ll accept adopters letting their cats outside is if they have a catio _already built_ or if they’re knowledgeable about how to train a cat to walk on a leash.

[@paranoiarpincess]

Way to go you guys and seeing firm boundaries like that! My little unofficial Canadians are really growing up! So proud!

[@recessschedule3089]

i didn’t realize florida has fire ants, but i guess it makes sense. where i am in texas they’re an ever-present nightmare- i remember sitting in a fire ant mound on accident as a child. never made that mistake again

[@rosehawke2577]

The whole SOUTH has fire ants. I try to garden organically as much as possible, but there's two things I'll pull out the chemicals for - poison ivy ( I do as much mechanical removal as I can, but I'm terribly allergic,) and fire ants.

[@teddymercury9905]

The kiddo at the start is such a mood 🤣

[@jamiemackinnon5777]

Great video! I’m from Scotland and have 2 cats (still babies) I will never let them outside they are indoor cats strictly for the reason of killing so many small animals and the fact so many get hit by cars or killed in other ways I couldn’t risk my boys getting hurt and definitely wouldn’t allow them to hurt the many small species of rodent and birds that we have here, so 10000% agree with you cats should be indoors and I would LOVE to hear a video from you guys on the reasons why to help educate more people about it ❤️

[@leannepaxton5012]

As a cat lover and owner of 2, I 100% agree about them being indoor animals. If possible, it is awesome to have a catio or cat run, an outdoor space which is completely fenced in with something that other animals can’t get through, like chicken wire or something. My cats love the catio, they get to watch the birds, and get lots of fresh air. Plus I spend every evening with them outside, but in the catio. Invasive species that I would get rid of, well, I live in Australia, so of course it has to be Cane Toads. I live near a canal, and they are everywhere as soon as the sun starts going down. Personally, I can’t do anything to them, it’s not their fault, I kind of feel sorry for them. I know how much damage they can do, but so many people are already awful to them here, I can’t help but feel sorry for them. No matter how bad an invasive species is, they don’t deserve to die cruelly or painfully. The humane way is to put them in the fridge to put them asleep and then put them in the freezer. I just wish our local councils would provide said fridges and freezers in places like community centres, because let’s face it, not many people are willing to put a bag of cane toads in their fridge or freezer! Oh, nice work Ed, with your dad’s golf cart!! Lol

[@starla_vix8907]

Love you snake discovery 🐍❤️ Thank you for educating those who might not a clue.

[@laylab17139]

God, yes, about the cats. Even besides the very real problems that their predation and breeding cause, i always judge people who don't keep their cats inside. My grandparents keep getting outside cats and either don't realize or don't care that the reason none of their cats live very long is BECAUSE they keep them outside. I keep my cats inside because i love them and couldn't bear anything to happen to them. It baffles me that some people get a cat but don't care enough about its safety to keep it inside where it is safe. And then where i live people dont bother to get male cats spayed because if it gets a female pregnant, hey, its not our problem! And as a result there are soo many strays and ferals. Its so irresponsible. There's my soapbox for the day lol. Love the herping videos!!

[@jaxxom87]

It’s a hard call between fire ants and outdoor cats. Both do incredible harm. Fire ants are so good at self-spreading, too. They literally make giant rafts of themselves when they’re flooded out and that’s how they’ve migrated pretty much all along the gulf coast and the ones I’ve encountered (I’m luckily immune to their bites) we’re I northern Oklahoma!

[@pdpuppers]

I didn’t know you could be immune to fire ants but that makes sense, I had a bunch of fire ants crawl up my hair and start biting me when I was a little kid and it didn’t really hurt much. I always wondered why

[@jaxxom87]

@@pdpuppers similar story. I was hauling wood for a fire at a camp gathering. I’d followed all the rules, but I guess I didn’t wait long enough for the ants to leave, but all I felt was tickling. Didn’t even realize I’d been bit until I put the log down

[@Spedkid123]

Hey ed and Emily I’m sorry for the losings of Omnomlette, Brad, nick,and Jupiter they with be loved and missed and I love y’all vids keep going and you all are amazing and I bless you.

[@chloeslater7231]

Manatees are my absolute number one favourite animal ever. I went to florida as a child, I thought they were just the most lovely creatures. I'm in my mid 30s and I still hold to that. Just so lovely.

[@8fuzzybuzz]

By chance did yall keep the gecko and the frog ?? Everytime I do to Florida I do keep all the invasive I catch and bring them home and put them in one of my setups ... small steps but does somewhat help out northern Florida 😂

[@oldmanflannagan2501]

there is a giant invasive snail in florida, the African Giant Land Snail... but the snail they found doesn't have the right shaped shell to be that. And as much as I wish I was a snail expect, that is the end of my knowledge. This snail remains a mystery to me :(

[@TheChildofAuraReborn]

Someone else in the comments confirmed it was a cellar snail, a native species, so good news! :D

[@bee_png]

looks like a cuban land snail. they get big and have a rounded shell like the one in the video, and have the same body and shell color/patterns. saw a bunch of them in the keys last year. not an expert though

[@acedan73]

It would be awesome to have a recap of all the rarest and most interesting reptiles you guys have found over the years, also keep going I ❤you guys so much

[@patrickshaw5746]

Just as a fun addition you had invasive plants in the video as well. The cuban tree frog was on an earleaf acacia, in the background of a few shots was Brazilian pepper, an invasive bush, and some of the grasses that the pig walked through are invasive, torpedo grass for example. So you got all the animals and a tree, bush, and grass

[@LonelyPluto317]

I feel you Emily, sometimes I’ll just lock myself in my room for a week until I’m ready to come out of my cave. I think that’s just the normal 13 yr old me though. Keep up the good work your videos are great and educational in a fun way!!❤

[@DragonFae16]

The only way to be certain you've killed off a fire ant nest is to pour boiling water down the nest entrance and keep doing it until the water no longer flows into the ground in the area and there aren't any more bubbles.

[@KerriGilpin]

I prefer melted aluminum, makes cool sculptures… 2 birds one stone. 👍

[@DragonFae16]

@@KerriGilpin I tip my figurative hat to you.

[@cooldudenibb]

Totally agree with the cats! Love them but it’s SO important that they stay inside

[@perfectweather]

As a bird breeder I would choose cats. European house cats have been an extinction level event for a multitude of migratory bird species that we will never see again and it is happening every day.

[@PaytonKlida]

6:19 the frog is so cute and I love how jumpy the frog was

[@alicecarter2300]

Yesss Emily! I am a massive indoor cat advocate.

[@kaylee6895]

Emily you have been a huge inspiration to me! I used to be terrified of snakes to the point I couldn’t look at even video but you helped me realize not all snakes/reptiles are dangerous! I hope to get a reptile and maybe even a snake one day

[@Symphing12]

I've been bingeing Snake Discovery content I missed for a while, but I'll stop to watch a new one!! What a neat video idea! Edit: the Burmese Pythons are a concern, right? I guess I'll go with that.

[@MagnakayViolet]

I go with the python because they get big enough to kill native crocodilians and wild cats.

[@lauralie9658]

This is a compliment::: I watched Brian Barczyk The Retarium, but now that he has passed away, you're my channel. I will be watching to gain more snake knowledge. Plus, supporting women is important.

[@Forev3rYoung1947]

Fun story: When I was a kid in south Florida, I was playing catcher for softball at the park. A bunch of fire ant crawled up my leg and started biting my butt 😅 It was painful and embarrassing because I had to strip down in the bathroom until a camp counselor got the ants off my clothes

[@tymekzagorski9689]

Either the hammer head worms, flat leaf slug, or Burmese pythons (mostly because I heard that they are big problems

[@SIXWATERGAMING]

I didn't know manatees were native interesting, thanks for the vid Ed and Emily! It makes my day

[@angelgreen3532]

Thank you SO much for saying cats!! I was literally typing that when you asked.

[@pastorjerrykliner3162]

I know that in the Cape Coral area they are having a problem with Nile Monitors who have successfully colonized the area... Not as well known as the Burmese Python, but maybe even worse to the Burrowing Owls... Also the Parakeets would flock around my parents yard...

[@sharzah1]

Um... I'm pretty sure Burrowing Owls are native... or maybe I'm misunderstanding your comment?

[@pastorjerrykliner3162]

@@sharzah1 Burrowing Owls are native. Nile Monitors are not and they are taking a heavy toll on the Burrowing Owls because they can raid their nesting burrows. They also love eating cat and dog food that people leave out.

[@Letty_critters420o65]

I agree cats. I love cats. I have 3, but they are too great at hunting

[@DJDroz-gh5nt]

I wouldn't be surprised if those ant hills are interconnected. Manatees are so cute! They look like the missing link between seals and whales even though they're related to elephants. Also, Bindy Erwin beat you to the "Sea elephant" joke over a decade ago. Cute little frog. It looks like a bug the way it climbs the wall? Cute gecko too. 🐌 Boar just casually crossing the road. Not a care in the world. Duck, duck, duck, duck, duck! They are cute though, and friendly. What invasive would _I_ want to see eradicated? Yes. Except the ones that are endangered or extinct in they're native habitat. Don't need them going fully extinct.

[@aetherfloats]

I agree that cats should be kept indoors! All three of my male cats are neutered and kept indoors at all times. I could also get on a soap box and preach all day about it, but I shall not today. Instead I'll hit the like button and continue waiting patiently for more Snake Discovery videos!

[@jaylamize3540]

I know first hand how painful fire ant bites can be. About 10 years ago I was visiting family in Texas and accidentally stepped in a large fire ant hill and got met with the colony crawling up my legs continuously biting me. The feeling was like someone constantly pricking me with a very sharp pencil over and over. Afterwards the venom from the bites itched similar to a mosquito bite for about a week until they went away.

[@elowyndemontigny544]

As an aside, I really love your new camera. I had the same Sony for a time and it's just an awesome piece of equipment. But the quality in your videos is markedly improved and just gorgeous to watch

[@headachesandhairdye]

People get so upset with me for keeping my cat indoors, ”Oohh but he must get lonely! His territory is so small! Wouldn’t he like to feel the wind in his fur?”, and every time I just point them to how bad cats are for their local ecosystem (and then I show them the missing cats group I’m in on Facebook, which has fifteen new posts every day just for my general area). I’ll keep my cat indoors, thanks.

[@johnbrooks8699]

This is the best informational KZbin channel that I have ever watched ❤

[@Thurston86]

For Christmas I received the hoodie Emily’s wearing in the intro. Every time I see it on screen now, I get a bit of a thrill. 😂 I’m such a nerd.

[@ohrats731]

That intro music gave me a flashback to the intro sequence from a series of educational movies I watched in elementary school when there was a sub or it was the day before a break and no one wanted to do work. I think they were called Eyewitness… History? 🤔 I’m not sure but thanks for the nostalgia feeling 😂

[@ASalad-fo5il]

some really nice b roll footage at the beginning 🤩

[@jadaakers2417]

I don’t know if you could make this video sometime, but it would be cool to watch a herping video of you trying to find endangered or protected animals in the wild. Also maybe a video about species of animals in Minnesota. Love all of your videos and can’t wait to see breeding plans for this year!

[@HinataElyonToph]

I mean aren’t manatees still endangered?

[@adriengriffon]

If you go to the Tampa Bay area, you can find invasive fish while you're out herping, too! The Tampa Bay area has invasive walking catfish.

[@klutzycutie]

As a Floridian I’m learning more from your video then ever just living here. Awesome video!! :) :)

[@dirtywhitellama]

Manatees invasive? I've never heard such a thing. I do remember as a kid hearing a bunch of people being upset how many were getting injured by boats and stuff and some concerns about their survivability.

[@GlowingTrashPanda99]

The boat thing is still an issue sadly. As a floridian, I was kinda hoping they'd bring it up.

[@iylamstoy]

I was going to say id get rid of the fire ants but as soon as you said cats I agreed with that!

[@MysticalMum68]

Hey guys! Hope you had a wonderful Christmas and a great New Year. And yes, sometimes there is such a thing as too much family lol. And Ed....You're gonna get in trou...ble lmao,,,some of us DO watch to the end ☺😜

[@noelletheriault5276]

I just love your videos, and I would like to point out that i always watch until the end, i absolutely love learning about new things from you guys, and you never disappoint ❤ Thank you ❤

[@Catsandmadeupdinos]

I got a wart from being stung by a fire ant for the first time so did one of my friends. I also have pet a wild manatee before. I would choose to eradicate the Burmese python.

[@FloydWolffe]

As a former cat rescuer, Spay/Neuter your cats and keep them indoors, or in appropriate catios! You can also cat-proof your yard. Community ctas? TNR programs are also great for decreasing the cat population and slowing the rate at which they reproduce. Also makes for healthy cat colonies. They are domestic animals, not wild. They are meant to be trained. It is our human responsibility to make sure they don't ruin the ecosystem we live in.

[@Lilly-dg6xc]

I'm 100% with you on feral cats Emily. Some people choose to feed feral cat colonies every day which just causes more problems for native wildlife.

[@FioreCiliegia]

Im ok with feeding as long as you are also getting them fixed because then you are replacing wildlife with another food source, but feeding to feed? Nope

[@TheChildofAuraReborn]

If the cats are already spayed/neutered, there's actually nothing wrong with feeding them. Especially if you're able to tame some of them and get them into homes. My friend's dad had a mom cat whose trust he gained by feeding her, and she ended up bringing both litters to him, which he then managed to get them to a shelter and adopted out (the second generation of kittens he was actually able to accustom them to people since the first were a little jittery). I think mom got adopted too because she was an absolute sweetheart and just loved to be pet. But yeah if you're not doing any kind of spay/neuter and you're just feeding the cats with no intention of socializing them for adoption, that's a problem.

[@Marzi29]

There's a really interesting study happening in Canada right now on whether feeding feral colonies reduces predation on wildlife! It makes sense that it would but we'll have to wait and see the results. And yes you definitely also need TNR happening at the same time. As much for the sake of the cats than the wildlife, constantly having kittens leads to so much suffering.

[@TallTeenTurtle]

If the people feeding them are also taking steps to stop the colony expanding (getting them nuetered, treating or removing sick cats, and finding homes for friendly cats) then it can actually be a good thing.

[@mommymeagan25]

You were very close to me! I’m over on the Englewood side of Port Charlotte. Depending on where in ft myers you were you’re about 45 mins from me! How awesome! Hope y’all found some good stuff! I’m typing this as I’m getting ready to watch the video!

[@nettemarie8073]

*sees fancy intro* "National Geographic intro...Either Ed or Emily must've gotten a Drone."

[@khills]

😂 Glad I wasn’t the only one with that thought!

[@sixoffcenter80]

As far as I know they haven't done that much ecological harm other than displacing out local green anoles, but I am tempted to say the brown anole just because I love my little green buddies. Also I like to recommend that next time you're in Florida that you check out the Brevard Zoo. Great little zoo that I think is absolutely worth the trip.

[@ronbolesta4147]

I'm also going to say cats, despite having 12 rescues myself. People need to stop leaving them out and releasing them, and definitely need to spay and neuter the ones they have!

[@thenerdytiger9306]

I wish people kept their cats indoors as well. When I lived with my patents we could never open the doors or windows unless one of us was in the living room(sitting room/lounge) because local pet cats would come in and try and get to my pet budgie

[@simbachannel7173]

Hello Emily and Ed, i really enjoy you're videos and you're videos got me less scared of snakes(i even found a small brown snake outside near my trash bin but i don't know the species of it) now that i know a lot of the breeds Also i would eradicate the fire ants or the cuban tree frog

[@beansandbarbecue]

The new camera looks SOOO SOO SO SOOOOOO good ❤️

[@careyfinding3310]

For me, the weirdest thing about manatees is their huge orbital socket/eye socket.. but they have tiny little beady eyes.

[@Moldy_coffee]

HI! I know you probably won't see this but I love your channel and meeting you last year was the best experience iv ever had you got I me interested in reptiles and your the reson I have my gecko and berded dragon I'm so happy I got the pirate berded dragon reptile pin and that's a memory that no one can take away thank you ❤

[@Julaeable]

I love cats and live in Germany. Whenever I watch videos about the feral cat situation in America, it breaks my heart. We are not perfect here, but we don't have kittens birthing kittens and dying of diseases on the street. Obviously their impact on other animals is a huge factor as well, it's just a horrible situation all in all. 😢😢

[@ILuvAyeAye]

:( It is really sad. It seems to be much harder to curtain in areas that stay relatively warm through the winter (like the southern US), because they keep having high numbers of kittens year round, which doesn't happen in places with colder winters.

[@hannahmartley7293]

That and people tend to get super defensive and mean and just over all unpleasant when you tell them they should really keep their cats inside. How hard is it to understand that it's not only safer to keep your cat inside but also that outdoor cats are an ecological menace.

[@miapha___]

As a Floridian, the invasive species I would get rid of would have to be iguanas. They are genuinely annoying and are pretty aggressive towards basically everyone. They’re also huge so there’s not much you can do when you see one

[@Monkey_gurl]

Dude she was my childhood ❤❤❤

[@ConorWood115]

I love manatees so much they are the goofiest. I'd love to see a video talking about why cats should be kept indoors.

[@mishalutsiuk5400]

Love herping vids like this keep it up!

[@Tant]

11:30 She's right, the fire ants with wings are the "kings and queens". They're the alates; they fly away from the nest, mate, and then the females become queens of their own ant colony.

[@Catywonkus]

Hello!! I love your channel!❤😊

[@katiesquid]

Not Florida, but here in Massachusetts Asian Shore Crabs are _everywhere!_ In high school when we took a field trip to the beach, people just kept finding them. I had a bucket with like thirty or so by the end.

[@dipendralimbu4114]

Thank you for all these amazing videos!!!❤❤❤😊

[@carolinesalpeck2567]

I’m from NC and fire ants were the bane of my existence growing up, I used to get bit all the time and you never get used to that itchy pain

[@mmontymoo]

omg I found your channel so long ago. So happy to see you guys have over 3mil subs now ❤🐍

[@phoenixfire8978]

Manatees are floating potatoes. And absolutely adorable!

[@WillowTheLacera]

Adding a bit on the talk about cats: This is why TNR is so important for cat colonies. So many kittens are born yearly that it's best to cut them off at the source, by humanely capturing the breeding populations, spaying them, and either returning them to their colony, or relocating them entirely. It gives the cats a healthier life, stops the population from skyrocketing any farther, and in turn helps the local ecosystem when those cats do eventually pass on. And people who let their cats be outdoor cats are irresponsible cat owners who are too lazy to clean up a cat's litter box. There are SO MANY better alternatives to outdoor cats, including, harness training, catios, indoor enrichment, and idk NOT OWNING A CAT?!?!

[@bobertforher]

Ugh 😩 feral cats everywhere!! I am in KY and there is a feral cat colony next to my home!!!! We had no idea when we bought our house. The lady next door feeds them and does not believe in TNR!! We are going crazy with what to do. Our garage has been sprayed to the point that it stinks. We cannot use our backyard as it smells of cat urine. Any advice???