There are some 200 species of ants in Polynesia, all nonnative, but the yellow crazies are the worst. In 2007 the first yellow crazy ants ( Anoplolepis gracilipes) were identified on one of the same islands, or motus, of Tetiaroa Atoll in French Polynesia. A second hatchling is snatched by another rat, flipped on its back and dragged off. A rat grabs it by its head and quickly drags it off-camera. Suddenly a sea turtle hatchling appears, digging out of the nest. The black-and-white motion-triggered video looks like an outtake from a cheap horror movie: A handful of rats circle a smooth, platter-sized mound of sand. Scientists have been studying the atoll’s plants, seabirds, insects, lizards, crabs, coral and algae, establishing a uniquely comprehensive ecological baseline to better understand how the rat eradication will affect the atoll - and others like it.In July, the paradisiacal 12-island atoll was declared rat-free after years of concerted efforts to wipe out the predators. ![]() Like many islands around the world, Tetiaroa Atoll in French Polynesia has been overrun by rats and other invasive species that profoundly affect its terrestrial and marine ecosystems.
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