The World's 10 Most Invasive Species

2016-03-08T18:48:00.000Z

customs border patrol flower search invasive — US border control agents inspect Valentine's Day bouquets for invasive species. U.S. Customs and Border Protection

It's easier than ever for non-native species to invade someone else's home.

Thanks to huge improvements in the way we travel around the globe, species can hitch rides on boats, travel via imported wood, and even enter through people's suitcases when they bring them home from exotic vacations.

So which invaders are causing the most trouble in their new turf?

These 10 are the absolute worst.

Lionfish, originally from the Indo-Pacific, probably got into the Atlantic Ocean from someone's aquarium. They eat over 40 other fish species, as well as each other if they've eliminated other options.

Source: National Geographic

The Burmese python, which can grow up to 22 feet, is eating up the Everglades after people disposed of their unwanted pet snakes there.

burmese python snake invasive species getty

Sources: The New York Times, Smithsonian

European starlings started with a flock of 100 in Central Park in 1890. Now, they're all over North America, stealing other birds' nests along the way.

Source: US Forest Service

The larvae of the emerald ash borer kill trees by eating right through their bark, and have destroyed entire forests across the northern US.

emerald ash borer larva tree invasive species ap

Source: New York Department of Environmental Conservation

Zebra mussels stowed away on ships headed for the Great Lakes. They overwhelm native arthropods by snapping up all the good real estate, and they can slice your feet if you step on them.

Source: University of California-Riverside

Cane toads are invading Australia's delicate island ecosystem, where they were first introduced to eat invasive cane beetles. Looking back, it wasn't a great idea.

Source: Live Science

People introduced Asian carp to the southern US in the 1970s, and now the habitat-destroying fish is getting dangerously close to the Great Lakes.

Source: National Wildlife Federation

The kudzu vine, which can grow a foot each day and already covers the southern US, is making its way north — possibly helped by a warming climate.

Source: KQED

The giant Nile perch hasn't established a US presence yet, but the species is doing major damage to smaller fish populations in areas of Africa where they're non-native.

nile perch africa fish — Turkana men unload freshly caught Nile Perches from a boat at a fishing camp near the Kenya-Ethiopia border on September 24, 2014. Goran Tomasevic/REUTERS

Source: US Fish and Wildlife Service

Rabbits. Yes, rabbits. The critters have made their way across five continents, fueled by their impressive fertility.

Source: Australian Dept. of the Environment

Several of these species were introduced on purpose, making them yet another example of human meddling coming back to bite us — sometimes literally.

starling bird sky invasive species macedonia reuters — Thousands of starlings flock over Macedonia. Reuters/Yannis Behrakis

These are the world's 10 worst invasive species

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Business Insider tells the innovative stories you want to know

Business Insider tells the innovative stories you want to know

Business Insider tells the innovative stories you want to know

These are the world's 10 worst invasive species

Lionfish, originally from the Indo-Pacific, probably got into the Atlantic Ocean from someone's aquarium. They eat over 40 other fish species, as well as each other if they've eliminated other options.

The Burmese python, which can grow up to 22 feet, is eating up the Everglades after people disposed of their unwanted pet snakes there.

European starlings started with a flock of 100 in Central Park in 1890. Now, they're all over North America, stealing other birds' nests along the way.

The larvae of the emerald ash borer kill trees by eating right through their bark, and have destroyed entire forests across the northern US.

Zebra mussels stowed away on ships headed for the Great Lakes. They overwhelm native arthropods by snapping up all the good real estate, and they can slice your feet if you step on them.

Cane toads are invading Australia's delicate island ecosystem, where they were first introduced to eat invasive cane beetles. Looking back, it wasn't a great idea.

People introduced Asian carp to the southern US in the 1970s, and now the habitat-destroying fish is getting dangerously close to the Great Lakes.

The kudzu vine, which can grow a foot each day and already covers the southern US, is making its way north — possibly helped by a warming climate.

The giant Nile perch hasn't established a US presence yet, but the species is doing major damage to smaller fish populations in areas of Africa where they're non-native.

Rabbits. Yes, rabbits. The critters have made their way across five continents, fueled by their impressive fertility.

Several of these species were introduced on purpose, making them yet another example of human meddling coming back to bite us — sometimes literally.

Business Insider tells the innovative stories you want to know

Business Insider tells the innovative stories you want to know

Business Insider tells the innovative stories you want to know

Business Insider tells the innovative stories you want to know

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Business Insider tells the innovative stories you want to know

Business Insider tells the innovative stories you want to know

Business Insider tells the innovative stories you want to know

Business Insider tells the innovative stories you want to know