DO YOU HAVE EXOTIC PETS AT HOME?

Don't leave them!

By releasing them you are not doing them any favors and they can also cause irreversible negative impacts on the natural environment.

What do I do if I have a pet at home and I can't take care of it anymore?

Abandoning exotic species is forbidden and punishable. Think that if they survive and adapt to our climate, they can become a big problem in our territory. If you have any at home, you must ensure that they do not reach the natural environment in any way and, in any case, release them.

If you can't keep it up:

  1. Call the nearest Rural Agents Corps: they will tell you what to do.
  2. Find a wildlife shelter:
    • Torreferrussa
    • CRAC
    • ADEFFA
    • DEPANA
    • Fundació Emys
If you have an exotic turtle at home and you can't take responsibility for it, go to Can Moragues, the headquarters of the Emys Foundation, and we'll welcome it.

WHAT DO YOU KNOW ABOUT EXOTIC SPECIES?

Pond slider (Trachemys scripta), invasive species
Pond slider (Trachemys scripta), invasive species

WHAT IS AN EXOTIC SPECIES?

Those that we naturally do not find distributed in our country or region and that have arrived there by some action of human beings. They are often the ones we can buy in pet stores.

WHAT IS AN INVASIVE EXOTIC SPECIES?

Those that have been introduced into our territory and have the ability to survive, reproduce, spread through natural environments and cause a biological or social impact.

They are the second leading cause of global extinction, after habitat destruction. They can cause:

  • Damage to other animals and plants
  • Habitat damage and landscape impact
  • Infrastructure damage
  • Damage and loss to crops
  • Human discomfort and health problems
  • They can become pests

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The process of invasion of a species

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1. Transport Phase: Introduced species

The species is transported by a specific human vector (ship, vehicle, freight, wildlife trade, etc.) outside its range. To overcome this phase, the animal or plant must overcome the conditions during transport. At this point we say that it is an introduced species.

2. Arrival phase: Naturalized species

The species manages to survive in the new environment. To overcome this phase, the animal or plant must be able to withstand conditions such as temperature, find food, or survive predators in the new habitat. At this point we say that it is a naturalized species.

 

 

3. Establishment phase: Adventitious species

The species begins to reproduce, the exotic population increases in number of individuals. To overcome this phase, the animal / plant must be able to overcome the barriers of the landscape (habitats other than introduction, anthropogenic modifications, etc.). Species that exceed this stage are called adventitious species.

4. Expansion phase: Established species

The species manages to disperse to the new territory, it is called an established species.

 

5. Impact phase: Invasive species

The species is beginning to have economic, social or ecological impacts on its new habitat. From there it can be considered an invasive exotic.

Some invasive species of Catalonia

Coypu

Coypu

Myocastor coypus

American mink

American mink

Neovison vison

Giant reed

Giant reed

Arundo donax

Monk parakeet

Monk parakeet

Myiopsitta monachus