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The Brown Treesnake on Guam
How the arrival of one invasive species damaged the ecology,
commerce, electrical systems, and human health on Guam: A comprehensive
information source.
Thomas H. Fritts and Dawn Leasman-Tanner
U.S. Geological Survey
Fort Collins Science Center
2150 Centre Ave., Bldg C
Fort Collins, Colorado 80526 USA
Suggested Citation: Fritts, T.H., and D. Leasman-Tanner.
2001. The Brown Treesnake on Guam: How the arrival of one invasive species
damaged the ecology, commerce, electrical systems, and human health on
Guam: A comprehensive information source. Available Online: http://www.fort.usgs.gov/resources/education/bts/bts_home.asp
Synopsis
Shortly after World War II, and before 1952, the brown
Treesnake was accidentally transported from its native range in the South
Pacific to Guam, probably as a stowaway in ship cargo. As a result
of abnormally abundant prey resources on Guam and the absence of natural
predators and other population controls, brown Treesnake populations
reached unprecedented numbers. Snakes caused the extirpation of
most of the native forest vertebrate species; thousands of power outages
affecting private, commercial, and military activities; widespread loss
of domestic birds and pets; and considerable emotional trauma to residents
and visitors alike when snakes invaded human habitats with the potential
for severe envenomation of small children. Since Guam is a major
transportation hub in the Pacific, numerous opportunities exist for the
brown Treesnakes on Guam to be introduced accidentally to other Pacific
islands as passive stowaways in ship and air traffic from Guam.
Numerous sightings of this species have been reported on other islands,
and an incipient population is probably established on Saipan. It
is important that people who may come in contact with the brown Treesnake,
particularly on neighboring islands and other high-risk sites, understand
the scope of this problem and how to identify the snake so proper action
can be taken.
This resource has been developed to provide source materials
on the history of the invasion, continuing threats, research results,
and containment and management of the brown Treesnake (Boiga irregularis)
in Guam and its relevance to other islands and mild continental environments.
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