Managing island biotas: brown tree snake control using barrier technology

Managing Island Biotas: Brown Treesnake Control Using Barrier Technology

The brown treesnake (Boiga irregularis), accidently introduced to the previously snake-free U.S. island of Guam after World War 11, decimated the island's naive wildlife. Today, it periodically stows away on craft going to other islands where the ecological damage may be repeated. Barriers offer an effective tool for keeping the snakes out of areas from which they can disperse off-island, as we...

Operational Control Of The Brown Tree Snake On Guam

An operational control program for brown tree snakes (Boiga irregulans) on Guam began in April 1993. The program focused on minimizing the dispersal of brown tree snakes to other Pacific islands and the U.S. mainland. During the first year of operation, more than 3,000 snakes were caught within a kilometer of high risk port facilities using traps, detector dogs, and spotlighting. Additionally, ...

Invasions of the Brown Tree Snake

Around 1950, populations of the brown tree snake (Boiga irregularis) were introduced on Guam, a previously snake-free island. This introduction was the result of post-World War II traffic carrying military materials from the South Pacific region (Savidge 1987; Rodda et al. 1992). It resulted in major ecological changes and the loss of several bird and lizard species from the island starting in ...

Standardizing the evaluation of brown tree snake trap designs

The introduced brown tree snake has had devastating impacts on the native vertebrate fauna of Guam. Trapping is the primary means by which brown tree snakes are removed, either in support of reintroduction of endangered species or to deter their movement from Guam in cargo. Traps used to control brown tree snake populations have been continually evolving since the 1980s. Before general operatio...

Ecotoxicological Risks of Potential Toxicants for Brown Tree Snake Control on Guam