U.S. Department of Agriculture: Animal and Plant Health Inspection Service
Date of this Version
April 1998
Abstract
The accidental introduction of the Brown Tree Snake Boiga Irregularis to Guam has resulted in the extirpation of most of the island's native terrestrial vertebrates, has presented a health hazard to infants and children, and also has produced an economic problem. Prevention of its dispersal through Guam's cargo traffic to other Pacific islands has became a high environmental priority. Trapping around ports and other cargo staging areas is central to an integrated pest management program designed to deter dispersal of the species. In this study, perimeter trapping of forested plots characteristic of those found in port areas was found 19 be he most effective trap placement strategy, although trap lines cut through the plot interior or placed along a single plot boundary were also effective. Snake removal potentially can be modeled using an exponential decay over time, providing the manager with a planning tool. Population recovery of Brown Tree Snakes in trapped plots was found to be slow in the fragmented forested habitats found around ports.
Comments
Published by PACIFIC CONSERVATION BIOLOGY Vol 4. 1998. Permission to use.