Objectives and Integrated Approaches for the Control of Brown Tree Snakes

The inadvertent 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 small children, and also has produced an economic problem. Management of brown tree snakes is aimed at a number of objectives, the foremost of which has been to deter its dispersal through Guam's cargo traffic to other locations. Another objective is to reclaim areas on Guam for reintroduction of native wildlife. A related objective is the protection of small sensitive sites on Guam from brown tree snake intrusion, such as power stations or nesting trees and caves. A fourth objective is to contain and capture incoming brown tree snakes at destinations vulnerable to their introduction. A final objective is to control incipient populations in other areas beyond their native range. A number of control tools have been developed, or are being developed. The efficacy of each control method depends on the situation to which it is to be applied. The control methods are described individually and the suites of methods most suited to each management objective are discussed.

[1]  Richard M. Engeman,et al.  Brown Tree Snake Discoveries During Detector Dog Inspections Following Supertyphoon Paka , 2000 .

[2]  A direct comparison of trapping and spotlight searches for capturing Brown Tree Snakes on Guam , 2001 .

[3]  R. Imler.  Bullsnakes and Their Control on a Nebraska Wildlife Refuge , 1945 .

[4]  L. Sileo,et al.  WAS DISEASE INVOLVED IN THE DECIMATION OF GUAM'S AVIFAUNA? , 1992, Journal of wildlife diseases.

[5]  D. Chiszar,et al.  20. A state-of-the-art trap for the Brown Treesnake , 1999 .

[6]  Mark E. Tobin,et al.  Nightly and Seasonal Movements of Boiga irregularis on Guam , 1999 .

[7]  R. Engeman,et al.  Sustained evaluation of the effectiveness of detector dogs for locating brown tree snakes in cargo outbound from Guam , 2002 .

[8]  G. Witmer,et al.  RAT MANAGEMENT FOR ENDANGERED SPECIES PROTECTION IN THE U.S. VIRGIN ISLANDS , 1998 .

[9]  J. Shivik,et al.  Mechanical Mouse Lure for Brown Treesnakes , 2000, Copeia.

[10]  T. Hall.  Operational Control Of The Brown Tree Snake On Guam , 1996 .

[11]  J. Savidge.  Food Habits of Boiga irregularis, an Introduced Predator on Guam , 1988 .

[12]  J. Shivik.  Brown Tree Snake Response to Visual and Olfactory Cues , 1998 .

[13]  N. Scott,et al.  Trapping Boiga irregularis on Guam using bird odors , 1989 .

[14]  T. Fritts,et al.  Risks to infants on Guam from bites of the brown tree snake (Boiga irregularis). , 1990, The American journal of tropical medicine and hygiene.

[15]  Gordon H. Rodda,et al.  The impact of the introduction of the colubrid snake, Boiga irregularis, on Guam's lizards , 1992 .

[16]  Julie A. Savidge,et al.  Extinction of an Island Forest Avifauna by an Introduced Snake , 1987 .

[17]  T. Fritts,et al.  Predation by the brown tree snake, Boiga irregularis, on poultry and other domesticated animals in Guam , 1991 .

[18]  J. Shivik,et al.  Ontogenetic Shifts in Canion Attractiveness to Brown Tree Snakes ( Boiga irregularis ) , 1999 .

[19]  J. Shivik,et al.  The Development of Chemosensory Attractants for Brown Tree Snakes , 1999 .

[20]  L. Miller,et al.  IMMUNOCONTRACEPTION AS A WILDLIFE MANAGEMENT TOOL : SOME PERSPECTIVES , 1998 .

[21]  J. Oldenburg,et al.  ENDANGERED SPECIES IN THE PACIFIC ISLANDS: THE ROLE OF ANIMAL DAMAGE CONTROL , 1992 .

[22]  Gordon H. Rodda,et al.  Origin and Population Growth of the Brown Tree Snake, Boiga irregularis, on Guam , 1992 .

[23]  G. White,et al.  USE OF ACETAMINOPHEN FOR LARGE-SCALE CONTROL OF BROWN TREESNAKES , 2001 .

[24]  R. Shine.  Strangers in a Strange Land: Ecology of the Australian Colubrid Snakes , 1991 .

[25]  Brown tree snakes effectively removed from a large plot of land on Guam by perimeter trapping. , 2000 .

[26]  Gordon H. Rodda,et al.  Origin and population growth of the brown tree snake, Boiga irregularis, following its introduction to Guam , 1992 .

[27]  J. Shivik,et al.  Carrion Seeking in Brown Tree Snakes: Importance of Olfactory and Visual Cues , 1997 .

[28]  J. Johnston,et al.  The oral and dermal toxicity of selected chemicals to brown tree snakes (Boiga irregularis) , 1998 .

[29]  J. Savidge,et al.  Activity of the arboreal brown tree snake (Boiga irregularis) on Guam as determined by electrical outages , 1987 .

[30]  R. Engeman,et al.  Implications of brown tree snake captures from fences , 1999 .

[31]  G. Perry,et al.  MANAGING ISLAND BIOTAS: BROWN TREESNAKE CONTROL USING BARRIER TECHNOLOGY , 1998 .

[32]  T. Fritts,et al.  2. An Overview of the Biology of the Brown Treesnake* (Boiga irregularis), a Costly Introduced Pest on Pacific Islands , 2020, Problem Snake Management.

[33]  T. Fritts,et al.  Symptoms and circumstances associated with bites by the brown tree snake (Colubridae: Boiga irregularis) on Guam , 1994 .