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| Is there such a thing as an innocuous commensal vertebrate? | |
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| Tweet Topic Started: Dec 15 2016, 07:55 AM (853 Views) | |
| Thalanx | Dec 15 2016, 07:55 AM Post #1 |
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Heterotrophic Organism
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Can anyone think of a vertebrate species that is highly reliant on human habitation and refuse in order to thrive, but is not a major economic or ecological pest? Obviously, this means that such species as mice, rats, sparrows, rock pigeons, and starlings are out. If a completely innocuous vertebrate 'commensal' does not exist, then I would like to know what the least-harmful 'commensal' vertebrate in existence is. My guess is that it is the house gecko. |
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| Wyvax | Dec 15 2016, 08:10 AM Post #2 |
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Herbivore
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Honestly what harm do pigeons do besides poop on everything? Forgive me on my ignorance, I don't live around them, but I don't really see them as pests. |
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| M4A2E4 | Dec 15 2016, 08:22 AM Post #3 |
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Herbivore
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House geckos? I don't know if they qualify as highly reliant through. |
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| Thalanx | Dec 15 2016, 08:30 AM Post #4 |
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Heterotrophic Organism
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Their pooing on everything is considered to be significantly aesthetically harmful, and I think it also poses a health risk. Surprisingly, they are also apparently major crop pests in rural areas. http://nzbirdsonline.org.nz/?q=node/462 |
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| Ceratodromeus | Dec 15 2016, 12:06 PM Post #5 |
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Aspiring herpetologist
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Lots of small lizard species probably fit the bill nicely. |
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| Thalanx | Dec 15 2016, 02:10 PM Post #6 |
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Heterotrophic Organism
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In terms of economic impacts, possibly, but if the commensal lizard/s has arrived from elsewhere and is not native, then there's a chance that it can displace native lizards that live in and around human habitation http://www.qm.qld.gov.au/Find+out+about/Animals+of+Queensland/Reptiles/Geckos/Asian+House+Gecko |
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| Grimace | Dec 15 2016, 11:24 PM Post #7 |
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Kleptoparasite
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Parrots. We have them here, and they basically entirely live off of fruit and etc trees in the city. |
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| Reduvia | Dec 16 2016, 09:44 PM Post #8 |
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Autotrophic Organism
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Any species that lives in association with humans is probably going to end up spreading around the world. So if your criteria include that it can't be an introduced species anywhere, there's not gonna be an easy answer. |
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| Thalanx | Dec 17 2016, 08:46 AM Post #9 |
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Heterotrophic Organism
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It is possible for an introduced vertebrate species to have a very limited impact on the economy and native animals of where it has been introduced to, so it's fair to assume that an introduced commensal vertebrate species can have negligible economic and ecological impacts as well |
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| Thalassophoneus | Dec 17 2016, 09:16 AM Post #10 |
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Pelagic Killer
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Athens is full of pigeons. Sometimes it has happened for a pigeon to enter our classroom. |
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| LionClaws | Dec 17 2016, 10:35 AM Post #11 |
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Omnivore
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Certain housecats might be sufficiently independent to be regarded as merely "commensal." |
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| Reduvia | Dec 17 2016, 11:38 AM Post #12 |
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Autotrophic Organism
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How about house geckos and other small lizards in their own native range? |
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| Ceratodromeus | Dec 17 2016, 11:40 AM Post #13 |
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Aspiring herpetologist
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Yes a lot of small introduced species do have this effect, though obviously not all, I was more under the impression this would be in the animal in questions' native range though. |
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| Reduvia | Dec 17 2016, 01:43 PM Post #14 |
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Autotrophic Organism
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There's rat snakes and other colubrids that enter houses and barns and such to feed on rodents. |
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| Ceratodromeus | Dec 17 2016, 01:54 PM Post #15 |
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Aspiring herpetologist
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Brown house snakes are of course a notable example |
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