Cooperative Ecosystem Studies Unit, Rocky Mountain CESU

archived

The U.S. Geological Survey (USGS) Fort Collins Science Center (FORT) is offering a funding opportunity to a CESU partner to conduct research on the ecology, biology, and monitoring of invasive Brown Treesnake (Boiga irregularis; BTS). Suppression and control of BTS on Guam is imperative to allow reintroduction of native avifauna and to prevent spread of snakes from Guam to other Pacific Islands. Accidental introduction and establishment of BTS on Pacific Islands other than Guam represents a significant source of concern for BTS management. Extensive effort has been invested in interdiction, early detection and rapid response activities to prevent their successful colonization elsewhere, as well as control and containment on Guam. The recent development of Aerial Delivery Systems (ADS) for acetaminophen-laced bait, which is toxic to Brown Treesnakes, has created the first realistic scenario for large-scale control of BTS (Brooks, Savarie, & Johnston, 1998; Clark & Savarie, 2012). However, due to the novelty of ADS as a control tool for reptiles, many unknowns remain concerning the best approaches towards successful suppression and eradication of BTS populations on Guam. Furthermore, the potential biological response and plasticity of BTS and its potential prey is unknown and reliable comparisons pre- and post-suppression depend on the evaluation of existing, pre-suppression information.

High