In 1997 fire ants arrived with the honey bees from Texas. They infested the almond orchards in the Kern and Fresno area. The red imported fire ants were detected near Orange County. The detection of these ants led to a county wide quarantine. Out breaks have also been discovered in the western areas of Riverside county, San Diego, Los Angeles Santa Barbara and Sacramento. (1)

The ant’s presences pose a threat to the economic stability of the area in which they inhabit. The ants rapidly destroy livestock and they also can pose a threat to young birds and newborn lizards. The fire ants protect themselves with their abdominal stings. With a single sting from a fire ant, it leaves the human skin with a rash like bump that can eventually scar if infected. (1)

Quarantining the ants is not cheap. In 2002, Texas spent around 1.1 Billion dollars in the efforts to control the fire ant problems. If the ants continue to spread, they could eventually become a worldwide problem. (1)

Red Wolves are known for the reddish color of their fur coat. The reddish color is most apparent behind the ears, along the neck and legs. An average adult red wolf weighs around 45-80 pounds, stands around 26 inches tall and about 4 feet long. The red wolf oftentimes are found in packs, they are primarily very social with one another. The red wolves are most active during the times of dusk and dawn. They are primarily shy to humans, thus they tend to avoid humans and human activities all together. (2)

The red wolves are one of the most endangered wolves in the world. There was a time when the red wolves were very common along the south eastern boarders of the United States. However, their population took a rapid decline due to predator control programs and also due to the loss of their habitat. The red wolves were officially declared an endangered species in 1973 and later declared extinct in the wild in 1980.

The red wolf revival program was initiated in attempts to revive the red wolf population. 17 Red wolves were caught from the wild and 14 of those wolves were successfully entered into the red wolf breading program.

An average hippopotamus can weigh up to 4 tons and stand about 1.4m at the shoulder. Hippo's tend to dwell within the murky waters of southern Africa. The common hippo's tend to stick together in groups of 20-100 members. In the center of each groups territory there is an area in which the female and children's dwell. On the outskirts of the group, the male hippopotamus stands on guard. The female hippo's are the leaders of the group. When a female hippo is ready to mate, she leaves the inner circle of the female group and travels to the outskirts to find a mate. (3)

The hippopotamus could be considered a keystone species due to the fact that their waste gives nutrients to the creatures that inhibit the same waters as the hippopotamus. Their waste gives off nutrients that help spur the growth of other organisms such as alge and bacteria. Some Fishes also tend to feed upon parts of the hippopotamus's waste. (4)

Without the hippopotamus, the waters of South Africa would change. The lack of waste in the streams of Africa would cause the creatures who feed upon the hippo's waste to slowly die out, thus changing the environment all together. (4)

The Great White Sharks is the largest predatory fish on earth. These vicious hunters grow up to 15 feet in length and weighing in around 5000 pounds. The great whites have a grey and brownish upper body to help them blend in with the coastal sea floor. They get the name "Great White" primarily due to their white underbellies. The great whites are streamline swimmers, their unique body shape helps them quickly glide through the waters. Their tail fins are strong enough to propel them at the speed of 15mph. 

These vicious killers have around 300 jagged, triangular shaped teeth that line their jaws. With exceptional sense of smell, they can easily detect a wounded prey. Along with their sense of smell, the great whites are equipped with sensory organs that can detect even the slightest electromagnetic fields generated by animals. 

With the speed and senses of this vicious animal, the great white shark builds its reputation as one of the fiercest hunters in the waters.

The Scarlet King Snake starts its life as a new born egg. When hatched it ranges from 5-7 inches and as it slowly reaches adult hood, it averages around 14-20inches. The scarlet king snake has a unique feature to ward of enemies. The red yellow and black stripe pattern that lines its body is to confuse its predators. The feature that the scarlet king snake has develop almost resembles the extremely poisonous Coral snake. The coral snake is one of the most poisonous snakes in the world. The coral snakes color pattern is red on yellow, while the scarlet king snakes color pattern is black on yellow. (6)

The scarlet king snake is a very nervous creature. The slightest indication of an enemy will send it into a defensive position. The scarlet king snake preys upon small creatures such as lizards, earthworms and rats. (6) 

The Scarlet king snakes color scheme that closely resembles that of the Coral snake makes its predators think twice about attacking it. (6)