Brown tree snake

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Brown tree snake

Conservation status

Least Concern

Scientific classification

Kingdom:	Animalia
Phylum:	Chordata
Class:	Reptilia
Order:	Squamata
Suborder:	Serpentes
Family:	Colubridae
Genus:	Boiga
Species:	B. irregularis

Binomial name

Boiga irregularis
(Merrem, 1802)

The Brown tree snake (Boiga irregularis) is an arboreal colubrid snake native to eastern and northern coastal Australia, Papua New Guinea, and a large number of islands in northwestern Melanesia.

1 Behavior
2 Venom
3 Spread
4 Synopsis
5 References

[edit] Behavior

The Brown tree snake is a nocturnal snake that is very aggressive when confronted. Due to the availability of prey and lack of predators in introduced habitats such as Guam, they have been known to grow to larger sizes than can be found in their native range. The longest recorded length of this species is three meters. Its rate of reproduction is slow in comparison to some other snakes. It produces between 3 and 12 eggs.

[edit] Venom

The Brown tree snake is a rear-fanged colubrid, possessing two small, grooved fangs at the rear of the mouth. Due to the placement of the fangs and grooved rather than hollow fangs, the venom is difficult to convey into a bite on an human, thus is only given in small doses. The venom appears to be neurotoxic and possibly necrotic with localised effects, but these effects are trivial for adult humans, and serious medical consequences have been limited to children due to their low mass. The venom seems to be primarily used to subdue lizards, which are more easily positioned in the rear of the mouth for venom delivery.

Brown tree snake, Queensland, in characteristic "S-posture"

Brown tree snake on a fence post on Guam

Brown tree snake on Guam

[edit] Spread

The slightly venomous but generally harmless snake came north to Guam and killed almost the entire bird population on the previously snake‐free island. This snake has few predators on the island, although these do include pigs and monitor lizards; nowadays, Guam is one of the areas with the highest snake density in the world (an estimated 2,000 snakes/km²). Even so, this nocturnal tree snake is rarely seen by residents. They curl up and hide during the day, and move about on trees and fences at night.

At least eight Brown tree snakes have been found in the Hawaiian islands since 1981. Because they can cause the same amount of harm to Hawaii as they have done to Guam, the State of Hawaii makes concerted efforts to inform the public about the snakes, particularly at International Airport.

[edit] Synopsis

Shortly after World War II, and before 1952, the Brown tree snake was accidentally transported from its native range in the South Pacific to Guam, probably as a stowaway in ship cargo.^[1] As a result of abnormally abundant prey resources on Guam and the absence of natural predators and other population controls, Brown tree snake 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 tree snakes 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 tree snake, particularly on neighboring islands and other in high-risk areas, understand the scope of the problem and how to identify the snake in order to assist with its eradication in these areas. This snake has been classified as a pest so those coming in contact with it may kill it. Due to the problems presented by its habits, the chamorros usually kill the snake. APAP can be used to accomplish this. ^[2] ^[3]