The European Commission has set a first step to fight invasive alien species and published a list of 37 such exotic animal and plant species, like the Fox Squirrel (Sciurus niger) in the picture. Invasive species can trigger economic problems, but most of all they contribute to biodiversity loss: they compete for food with local species, drive them out or cause genetic change in them, spread diseases or disrupt the ecosystems in other ways. The EU member states are now called upon to fight the spread of these species in the next three years.

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Photo: Fox Squirrel (Sciurus niger) taken at Lake Merritt in Oakland, California.