9 Great Invasive Species Worth Admiring | Wired Science | Wired.com

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As the U.S. Navy bombs Guam with dead, poisoned mice in the latest attempt to eradicate invasive brown tree snakes (above), it's worth taking a moment to sit back and appreciate -- yes, appreciate -- invasive species.

Now, before the environmentalists among you get upset, I'm not suggesting that species invasions are good things. They're not. They throw ecosystems out of whack, crowd out plants and animals we already know and love, and generally cause trouble.

But invasive species are living creatures, too. That's easy to forget amidst conservationist concerns, which can seem almost schizophrenic in treasuring some creatures (don't touch that tortoise!), while actively encouraging the extermination of others.

So for a few minutes, let's put aside our usual feelings about invasive species, and just talk about some really cool animals.

9 Great Invasive Species Worth Admiring | Wired Science | Wired.com