Feral organism
From The Art and Popular Culture Encyclopedia
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A feral animal (from Latin fera, "a wild beast") is an animal living in the wild but descended from domesticated individuals. When the term is extended to plants it reflects a transition from cultivated to uncultivated or controlled to volunteer status.
As with an introduced species, the introduction of feral animals or plants to non-native regions may disrupt ecosystems and has, in some cases, contributed to extinction of indigenous species. Feral species may however eliminate "problem" species such as rodents, harmful insects, or aggressive plants. Likewise returning lost species to their environment can have beneficial effects, such as bringing damaged ecosystems back into balance.
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See also
- Abandoned pets
- Domestication
- Feral dog
- Estray
- Feral child
- Feral (subculture)
- Invasive species
- Overpopulation in companion animals
- Stray dogs in Bangkok
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