An Automatic System to Evaluate Bait Station Visitation by Brown Treesnakes and Mongooses

Authors

• Robert T. T. Sugihara, USDA National Wildlife Research CenterFollow
• William C. Pitt, Smithsonian Conservation Biology Institute
• Are R. Berentsen, USDA National Wildlife Research Center
• Francis L. Benevides Jr., FB Engineering

Date of this Version

Fall 2023

Document Type

Article

Citation

Human–Wildlife Interactions (Fall 2023) 17(2): article 9 

doi: 10.26077/e627-9dca 

Special topic: Island invaders

Comments

United States government work. Public domain

Abstract

Understanding the temporal, spatial, and behavioral patterns of the free-ranging target species in response to candidate baits and baiting strategies is important to ensure control success. This information can also assist in the development and deployment of feeding stations and can exclude non-target species while constituting effective bait delivery and control strategies for certain invasive animals, especially at environmentally sensitive sites. We used passive integrated transponder (PIT) tags in conjunction with very-high frequency radio-telemetry to remotely record bait station visitations and evaluate bait attractiveness in separate field research studies of brown treesnakes (Boiga irregularis) on Andersen Air Force Base, Guam, Northern Mariana Islands, between 1999 and 2000 and in 2007, for small Indian mongooses (Urva auropunctata: Syn. Herpestes auropunctatus) on Hilo, Hawaiʻi Island, Hawaiʻi. USA. This system allowed us to document visitation rates to bait stations by brown treesnakes and mongooses. In Guam, we determined that 75% of medium to large brown treesnakes (>850 mm snout-vent length [SVL]) attracted to the bait stations consumed toxic bait, while smaller snakes (SVL) were not attracted to the bait stations. On Hawai‘i Island, we learned mongooses foraged over large areas (range = 6.0–70.2 ha), traveled up to 598 m to select baits, had restricted centers of activity, and displayed fidelity to newly discovered food sources. We recorded discrete group feeding activity not previously documented for mongooses. We found that anterior and posterior double-PIT tagging improved detectability of both target species. The complimentary monitoring system we used can be easily adapted for monitoring small mammals, birds, reptiles, or amphibian species and various activities of interest.