Table 5.1
Terrestrial vertebrate invasions treated in this chapter, and sorted by expected chronological appearance as invasive species in South Africa
Group
Species name
Common name
Origin
Year Pathway
Intentional/unintentional/
accidental
Mammal
Mus musculus
House mouse
Eurasia
~800 Stowaway (bulk)
u
Mammal
Rattus rattus
House rat
South Asia
~800 Stowaway (bulk)
u
Mammal
Capra hircus
Goat
Iran
1650 Escape (farmed animals)
i
Mammal
Equus asinus
Donkey
Egypt Somalia
1650 Escape (farmed animals)
i
Mammal
Equus ferus caballus
Horse
Central Asia
1650 Escape (farmed animals)
i
Mammal
Felis catus
Domestic cat
Egypt
1650 Escape (pet)
i
Mammal
Rattus norvegicus
Brown rat
China, Russia, Japan 1650 Stowaway (bulk)
u
Mammal
Oryctolagus cuniculus
European rabbit
Europe
1654 Escape (farmed animals)
i
Bird
Columba livia
Rock Dove
Mediterranean Asia
1850 Escape (pet/farmed animal),
Release (hunting)
i
Mammal
Dama dama
Fallow Deer
Iran Iraq Turkey
1869 Escape (ornamental)
i
Mammal
Rusa unicolor
Sambar Deer
South East Asia
1880 Release (hunting)
i
Bird
Sturnus tristis
Common Myna
South Asia
1888 Escape (pet)
i
Bird
Sturnus vulgaris
Common Starling
Europe
1889 Escape (ornamental)
i
Bird
Fringilla coelebs
Chaffinch
Europe
1890 Escape (ornamental)
i
Mammal
Sciuris carolinensis
Grey squirrel
USA
1890 Escape (ornamental)
i
Bird
Passer domesticus
House Sparrow
Eurasia Northern
Africa/India
1893 Escape (pet)
u
Reptile
Ramphotyphlops
braminus
Flowerpot Snake
South Asia
1920 Contaminant (nursery materials)
u
Mammal
Sus scrofa
Domestic Pig
Eurasia
1926 Release (biocontrol, hunting)
i
Mammal
Hemitragus jemlahicus
Himalayan Tahr
Central Asia to China 1930 Escape (ornamental)
u
Bird
Anas platyrhynchos
Mallard
Nearctic
1940 Escape (ornamental/pet),
Release (hunting)
i
Reptile
Lygodactylus capensis
Common Dwarf Gecko Central Africa
1956 Contaminant (transportation
of habitat material)
u
(continued)
5 Terrestrial Vertebrate Invasions in South Africa
117