Ask the Chatbot Games & Quizzes History & Society Science & Tech Biographies Animals & Nature Geography & Travel Arts & Culture ProCon Money Videos
invasive species
Table of Contents
References & Edit History Quick Facts & Related Topics
Images & Videos
kudzu Mexican fruit fly invasive species: Burmese python (Python bivittatus) brown rat red fox cane toad Surinam cherry brown tree snake
The video thumbnail image shows two hands holding zebra and quagga mussels, superimposed above a clear body of water. White question marks appear in the upper left corner.
sea lamprey: mouth
Related Questions
Read Next
Model of global ocean currents and temperatures
How Do Ocean Currents Affect the Biosphere?
Plant seedlings emerging from rich fertile soil
Do Plants Feel Pain?
The Panamanian Golden Frog is a critically endangered frog which is endemic to Panama.
Extinct in the Wild but Still Around: 5 Plants and Animals Kept Alive by Humans
Portrait of western lowland gorilla (Gorilla gorilla gorilla), Bayanga, Central African Republic
Gorilla gorilla, Sula sula, and Other Animals Whose Names Are Tautonyms—the Same for Genus and Species
Gray wolf. Grey wolf. Timber wolf. Canis lupus. Canidae. Wolves. Two gray wolves running in forest near Golden, British Columbia, Canada.
Why Do Scientific Names Have Two Parts?
Discover
Ruminant. Deer. Red deer. Cervus elaphus. Buck. Stag. Antlers.
9 of the World’s Deadliest Mammals
Meghan, Duchess of Sussex in 2019. (Meghan Markle, British royalty)
6 Things You Should Know About Meghan, Duchess of Sussex
Calendar showing the month of February
Why Are There Only 28 Days in February?
Space race (1957-1969) infographic between United States (U.S.) and Russia. America, Soviet Union, U.S.S.R., space exploration
Timeline of the Space Race, 1957–69
A Factory Interior, watercolor, pen and gray ink, graphite, and white goache on wove paper by unknown artist, c. 1871-91; in the Yale Center for British Art. Industrial Revolution England
Inventors and Inventions of the Industrial Revolution
Hemp (Cannabis sativa).
9 Mind-Altering Plants
Close up of periodic table, focus on nickel, copper, zinc, palladium, silver, cadmium
When Was the Periodic Table Invented?

invasive species: Facts & Related Content

verifiedCite
While every effort has been made to follow citation style rules, there may be some discrepancies. Please refer to the appropriate style manual or other sources if you have any questions.
Select Citation Style
Share
Share to social media
URL
https://www.britannica.com/facts/invasive-species
Written and fact-checked by
The Information Architects of Encyclopaedia Britannica

The Information Architects maintain a master list of the topics included in the corpus of  Encyclopædia Britannica, and create and manage the relationships between them.
The Information Architects of Encyclopaedia Britannica

News •

Concerns raised over new sportfishing regulations aimed to curb invasive species • Mar. 10, 2025, 12:26 AM ET (CBC)
Beech leaf-mining weevils are small. But researchers say they shouldn't be underestimated • Mar. 8, 2025, 6:23 AM ET (CBC)

Facts

Also Known As exotic species • alien species

Photos and Videos

kudzu
Mexican fruit fly
invasive species: Burmese python (Python bivittatus)
brown rat
red fox
cane toad
Surinam cherry
brown tree snake
sea lamprey: mouth
bighead carp and silver carp
The video thumbnail image shows two hands holding zebra and quagga mussels, superimposed above a clear body of water. White question marks appear in the upper left corner.
Problems caused by the invasive kudzu vine
Know about invasive species and the importance of knowledge in fighting an invasion
How do lionfish affect the ecosystems they invade?
Fishing for Chinese mitten crabs in Germany
See All Videos and Images →

Related Topics and References

Topics
Dig Deeper: More Articles That Discuss This Topic