Nonnative Species

Organisms are considered nonnative (alien, exotic, foreign, introduced, non-indigenous) when they occur artificially in locations beyond their known historical natural ranges. Nonnative can refer to species brought in from other continents, regions, ecosystems, and even other habitats. Species exotic to the United States include those transported from Europe, Asia, Africa, South America, Australia, and other parts of the world. They also include any species moved by people from one locality in the United States to a new one.