Mongooses are not native to Hawaii. They were intentionally introduced on all of the islands in 1883 by sugarcane farmers to control rat populations on sugar plantations. They have since greatly increased their population on some islands, while no populations of mongooses are found on the islands of Lana’i and Kaua’i. Which of the following correctly identifies a challenge mongooses would face if they were introduced onto these two islands? A) There is a lack of rats and other food sources on these islands.
B)These two islands have no forest reserves compared to the other islands.
C)These islands contain no natural predators for mongooses so they would overpopulate.
D)These two islands contain native species of birds and reptiles that would compete with the mongooses.