Crazy ants killing skinks
YELLOW crazy ants are a disaster for some of Australia’s unique skink species, with new research revealing the invasive insects are killing the reptiles.
James Cook University associate professor Lori Lach says invasive ants outcompeting or preying on native ants and other insects often leads to population declines or local extinctions.
“But effects on vertebrates, such as skinks, are less studied,” Dr Lach said.
Yellow crazy ants are best known for the killing of millions of red land crabs and triggering a cascade of ecological impacts on Christmas Island.
Many jurisdictions in Queensland, the Northern Territory and NSW are attempting to control or eradicate the ants.
But should that fail and the ants spread, they will likely have wider impacts, reptile diversity and conservation expert Conrad Hoskin says.