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2007

Invasive species

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Characterization Of Polymorphic Microsatellite Loci For The Invasive Monk Parakeet (Myiopsitta Monachus), M. A. Russello, V. Saranathan, S. Buhrman-Deever, J. Eberhard, A. Caccone Nov 2007

Characterization Of Polymorphic Microsatellite Loci For The Invasive Monk Parakeet (Myiopsitta Monachus), M. A. Russello, V. Saranathan, S. Buhrman-Deever, J. Eberhard, A. Caccone

Faculty Publications

Microsatellite loci were characterized for the monk parakeet (Myiopsitta monachus) from a GTn-enriched genomic library. Twelve of 14 microsatellite loci were polymorphic, averaging 6.7 alleles per locus across the 20 individuals genotyped. Mean expected heterozygosity was 0.72, with locus-specific values ranging from 0.53 to 0.90. An equally high multilocus probability of identity (2.48 × 10-12) was revealed for this set of loci. In addition, all 12 loci were demonstrated to cross-amplify to varying extents within three additional parrot genera suggesting their potential utility for population-level studies in a broad range of Neotropical psittacines. © 2007 The Authors.


An Extraordinary Patch Of Feral Hog Damage In Florida Before And After Initiating Hog Removal, Richard M. Engeman, John Woolard, Henry T. Smith, Jean Bourassa, Bernice U. Constantin, Daniel Griffin Oct 2007

An Extraordinary Patch Of Feral Hog Damage In Florida Before And After Initiating Hog Removal, Richard M. Engeman, John Woolard, Henry T. Smith, Jean Bourassa, Bernice U. Constantin, Daniel Griffin

United States Department of Agriculture Wildlife Services: Staff Publications

Feral hogs (Sus scrofa) are a particularly destructive exotic species in the United States (U.S. Department of Agriculture 1999), including Florida, which, along with Hawaii, is one of 2 states cited as having the most severe invasive species problems (U.S. Congress 1993) in the country. First introduced to North America by the European colonists (Conover 2007) hogs were one of the first invasive exotic species to take hold in Florida. They can transmit disease to livestock (Hartin et al. 2007) and humans (Conover and Vail 2007). They impose a variety of negative environmental impacts, including habitat degradation and …


Noontime Dumping: Why States Have Broad Discretion To Regulate Onboard Treatments Of Ballast Water, Kyle H. Landis-Marinello Oct 2007

Noontime Dumping: Why States Have Broad Discretion To Regulate Onboard Treatments Of Ballast Water, Kyle H. Landis-Marinello

Michigan Law Review

Ballast water discharges from shipping vessels are responsible for spreading numerous forms of aquatic invasive species, a form of biological pollution that leads to billions of dollars in annual costs. In the wake of inaction from the federal government and inaction from the shipping industry, several Great Lakes states are currently considering legislation to address the problem. Michigan has already passed a law to prevent ballast water introductions of invasive species. As states begin to regulate ballast water discharges from oceangoing vessels, such laws will likely face challenges based on the constitutional principles of the Dormant Commerce Clause and the …


Adaptive And Economic Management Methods For Feral Hog Control In Florida, Richard M. Engeman, Bernice U. Constantin, Stephanie A. Shwiff, Henry T. Smith, John Woolard, John Allen, John Dunlap Sep 2007

Adaptive And Economic Management Methods For Feral Hog Control In Florida, Richard M. Engeman, Bernice U. Constantin, Stephanie A. Shwiff, Henry T. Smith, John Woolard, John Allen, John Dunlap

United States Department of Agriculture Wildlife Services: Staff Publications

Feral hogs (Sus scrofa) negatively impact the environment in most places around the world where they have been introduced into the wild. In many places, hog removal is essential to protect special habitats, in particular, wetlands. This paper describes techniques developed for use in adaptive management approaches to enhance hog removal efforts in Florida, as well as methods to evaluate the economic impacts from hog management. A valuable adaptive management tool that can be an easily applied index to monitor feral hog activity is track plots. This method has been effective for monitoring hog distribution and relative abundance, …


From The Field: An Extraordinary Patch Of Feral Hog Damage In Florida Before And After Initiating Hog Removal, John Woolard, Henry T. Smith, Jean Bourassa, Bernice U. Constantin, Daniel Griffin Sep 2007

From The Field: An Extraordinary Patch Of Feral Hog Damage In Florida Before And After Initiating Hog Removal, John Woolard, Henry T. Smith, Jean Bourassa, Bernice U. Constantin, Daniel Griffin

United States Department of Agriculture Wildlife Services: Staff Publications

Feral hogs (Sus scrofa) are a particularly destructive exotic species in the United States (U.S. Department of Agriculture 1999), including Florida, which, along with Hawaii, is one of 2 states cited as having the most severe invasive species problems (U.S. Congress 1993) in the country. First introduced to North America by the European colonists (Conover 2007) hogs were one of the first invasive exotic species to take hold in Florida. They can transmit disease to livestock (Hartin et al. 2007) and humans (Conover and Vail 2007). They impose a variety of negative environmental impacts, including habitat degradation and …


Crop Diversification Leads To Diverse Bird Problems In Hawaiian Agriculture, Marni E. Koopman, William C. Pitt Sep 2007

Crop Diversification Leads To Diverse Bird Problems In Hawaiian Agriculture, Marni E. Koopman, William C. Pitt

United States Department of Agriculture Wildlife Services: Staff Publications

Over the last 20 years, Hawaii’s agriculture has shifted from a focus on sugar cane (Saccharum officinarum) and pineapples (Ananas comosus) produced on large farms to a diverse array of products produced on a multitude of smaller farms. This dramatic shift in production, in addition to the introduction of many new avian species, has resulted in a concomitant change in the problems faced by agriculture. We surveyed farmers to determine the extent of bird damage to crops, the species responsible, the crops most vulnerable, and control methods employed. Bird problems varied by island, but cardinals ( …


The Decline Of Fowler's Toad (Bufo Fowleri) In Southern Louisiana: Molecular Genetics, Field Experiments And Landscape Studies, Laura Sanders Vogel Aug 2007

The Decline Of Fowler's Toad (Bufo Fowleri) In Southern Louisiana: Molecular Genetics, Field Experiments And Landscape Studies, Laura Sanders Vogel

University of New Orleans Theses and Dissertations

Two of the most pervasive threats to species biodiversity are invasive species and habitat loss and degradation. Invasive species are often relatively insensitive to disturbance and many expand their range into disturbed and fragmented habitats. This dissertation uses an interdisciplinary approach to investigate how anthropogenic habitat disturbance is precipitating a range expansion in an invasive toad species, Bufo nebulifer, which is driving a decline in its native congener, B. fowleri. I employed a remote sensing and GIS study using historical data to compare changes in the two species distributions and habitat changes, a molecular genetic study to identify interspecific hybrids …


The Political, Economic And Management History Of A Successful Exotic Eradication: The Case Of Black-Tailed Jackrabbits In One Part Of Florida, Richard M. Engeman, Bernice Constantin, Jeffrey Bunting Aug 2007

The Political, Economic And Management History Of A Successful Exotic Eradication: The Case Of Black-Tailed Jackrabbits In One Part Of Florida, Richard M. Engeman, Bernice Constantin, Jeffrey Bunting

Managing Vertebrate Invasive Species

Black-tailed jackrabbits are a prolific, mobile species that became established at Miami International Airport, Florida. These animals posed a potential threat for colonization through additional parts of Florida if they were able to spread beyond the expansive airport property. Moreover, their carcasses from collisions with vehicles and aircraft attracted large scavenging and predatory birds to the airport, causing potential airstrike hazards. While the jackrabbits ultimately were successfully eradicated, the political, economic and management paths to that success were convoluted. We describe that history here and how a beneficial outcome was ultimately achieved.


Managing Starlings In Australia – Can Drc-1339 Be The Answer?, Tina Bentz, Steven Lapidge, David Dall, Ronald G. Sinclair Aug 2007

Managing Starlings In Australia – Can Drc-1339 Be The Answer?, Tina Bentz, Steven Lapidge, David Dall, Ronald G. Sinclair

Managing Vertebrate Invasive Species

European starlings (Sturnus vulgaris) are one of the most abundant and widespread bird species on earth. Introduced to Australia in the late 1850s, their highly adaptive ecology has enabled them to become a major pest. Concerns include public health and safety, economic impacts, detrimental environmental effects, and bird strikes at airports. Unfortunately current Australian control methods are ineffective and more efficacious, humane methods need to be developed. A feasibility study was undertaken of the likely risks/benefits of avicide DRC 1339 (3-chloro-4-methylbenzenamine hydrochloride) in Australia. This included a risk-analysis, a multi-industry survey and non-toxic bait trials to assess target-specificity. …


The Role Of Early Detection And Rapid Response In Thwarting Amphibian And Reptile Introductions In Florida, Todd S. Campbell Aug 2007

The Role Of Early Detection And Rapid Response In Thwarting Amphibian And Reptile Introductions In Florida, Todd S. Campbell

Managing Vertebrate Invasive Species

Prevention is the best policy for dealing with introduced species. However, biologists often spend an inordinate amount of time studying their spread and impacts rather than focusing on what should be done to thwart their establishment in the first place. Amphibian and reptile introductions are reaching epidemic proportions in Florida, largely due to irresponsible behavior by pet owners and the pet industry, but also due to ineffective preventive policies and actions. Prevention of additional amphibian and reptile introductions in Florida will require a comprehensive approach involving legal restrictions of certain problematic species, a massive public education effort, and a well-funded …


Ecology Of An Invasive Predator In Hawaii, Steven C. Hess, Heidi Hansen, Paul C. Banko Aug 2007

Ecology Of An Invasive Predator In Hawaii, Steven C. Hess, Heidi Hansen, Paul C. Banko

Managing Vertebrate Invasive Species

Cats (Felis catus) brought to Hawaii in the 1700s now occupy most habitats throughout the islands, including montane and sublapine zones. We studied home range, population genetics, diseases, and diet of feral cats on Hawai`i Island. Feral cats on Mauna Kea live in low densities and exhibit some of the largest reported home ranges. While 95% kernel home range estimates for 4 males ( x = 1418 ha) were nearly twice as large as 3 female home ranges ( x = 772 ha), one male maintained a home range of 2050 ha. Population genetics revealed that Mauna Kea …


Considering Control Of Invasive Barred Owls To Benefit California Spotted Owls: Possible Justification And Draft Methods, Kent B. Livezey, Richard M. Engeman, Dennis F. Rock, Donald A. Yasuda Aug 2007

Considering Control Of Invasive Barred Owls To Benefit California Spotted Owls: Possible Justification And Draft Methods, Kent B. Livezey, Richard M. Engeman, Dennis F. Rock, Donald A. Yasuda

Managing Vertebrate Invasive Species

Invasive, but native to North America, barred owls (Strix varia) are negatively affecting site occupancy, reproduction, and survival of federally threatened northern spotted owls (Strix occidentalis caurina), thereby confounding the land-based conservation strategy for northern spotted owls. Barred owls are moving southward into the range of non-federally listed California spotted owls (S. o. occidentalis), but are not, at this time or in the foreseeable future, a threat to the California spotted owl population. We recommend consideration of barred owl control in the northern Sierra Nevada Mountains, while barred owl numbers are low enough to …


Methods And Strategies For Managing Feral Hog Damage In Grain Production Areas In Central Texas, T. J. Muir, Gary Mcewen Aug 2007

Methods And Strategies For Managing Feral Hog Damage In Grain Production Areas In Central Texas, T. J. Muir, Gary Mcewen

Managing Vertebrate Invasive Species

Texas Wildlife Services (WS) personnel conduct feral hog damage management projects to protect a variety of resources in Texas. For the past 12 years, WS personnel have conducted feral hog (Sus scrofa) damage management projects on an 11,000 acre wildlife management area (WMA) and surrounding farmlands located in central Texas. The WMA is managed by the United States (US) Army Corp of Engineers and Texas Parks and Wildlife Department. Surrounding areas are farmlands and the primary crops grown there are corn and grain sorghum. Feral hogs have damaged area grain crops and the US Army Corp of Engineers …


Developing A New Toxin For Potential Control Of Feral Cats, Stoats, And Wild Dogs In New Zealand, Elain C. Murphy, Charles T. Eason, Steve Hix, Duncan Macmorran Aug 2007

Developing A New Toxin For Potential Control Of Feral Cats, Stoats, And Wild Dogs In New Zealand, Elain C. Murphy, Charles T. Eason, Steve Hix, Duncan Macmorran

Managing Vertebrate Invasive Species

The endemic fauna of New Zealand evolved in the absence of mammalian predators and their introduction has been responsible for many extinctions and declines. Predator control will have to be on-going if some native species are to survive on the mainland. Currently, predator control relies largely on labourintensive trapping, so the development of humane predator-specific toxins would provide valuable additional control methods. Para-aminopropiophenone (PAPP) is being investigated as a toxin for feral cats (Felis catus), stoats (Mustela erminea), and wild dogs (Canis familiaris). Carnivores appear to be much more susceptible to PAPP than birds, …


Prioritization Of Action On Non-Native Species – Progress In Great Britain, Niall Moore Aug 2007

Prioritization Of Action On Non-Native Species – Progress In Great Britain, Niall Moore

Managing Vertebrate Invasive Species

There is an increasing number of calls for action on a wide range of invasive non-native species, but only a limited resource to deal with them. It is clearly important for policy makers and others to be able to prioritize where these scarce resources are directed in order to maximize their conservation benefit. Coordination of effort, and knowledge sharing are clearly important as are risk assessment methods which attempt to quantify the risk posed by a range of species that are either present or are likely to invade. Great Britain, as an island, has advantages over continental landmasses in that …


Impacts Of Introduced Species On An Island Ecosystem: Non-Native Reptiles And Amphibians In The Us Virgin Islands, Renata J. Platenberg Aug 2007

Impacts Of Introduced Species On An Island Ecosystem: Non-Native Reptiles And Amphibians In The Us Virgin Islands, Renata J. Platenberg

Managing Vertebrate Invasive Species

Island ecosystems are highly sensitive to the impacts of introduced species. Non-native invasive snakes, lizards, and amphibians can introduce diseases into native populations and have other deleterious effects through predation, competition, and habitat manipulation. The United States (US) Virgin Islands are situated on the Puerto Rican Shelf in the Caribbean Sea and have a long history of human impacts and species introductions. Two species, the green iguana (Iguana iguana) and the red-legged tortoise (Geochelone carbonaria) were historically introduced and have become naturalized with little apparent impact to the local ecosystem. Recent years, however, have seen the …


Climate Matching As A Tool For Predicting Potential North American Spread Of Brown Treesnakes, Gordon H. Rodda, Robert N. Reed, Catherine S. Jarnevich Aug 2007

Climate Matching As A Tool For Predicting Potential North American Spread Of Brown Treesnakes, Gordon H. Rodda, Robert N. Reed, Catherine S. Jarnevich

Managing Vertebrate Invasive Species

Climate matching identifies extralimital destinations that could be colonized by a potential invasive species on the basis of similarity to climates found in the species’ native range. Climate is a proxy for the factors that determine whether a population will reproduce enough to offset mortality. Previous climate matching models (e.g., Genetic Algorithm for Rule-set Prediction [GARP]) for brown treesnakes (Boiga irregularis) were unsatisfactory, perhaps because the models failed to allow different combinations of climate attributes to influence a species’ range limits in different parts of the range. Therefore, we explored the climate space described by bivariate parameters of …


Flotation Materials For Aerial Delivery Of Acetaminophen Toxic Baits To Brown Treesnakes, Peter J. Savarie, Tom C. Mathies, Kathleen A. Fagerstone Aug 2007

Flotation Materials For Aerial Delivery Of Acetaminophen Toxic Baits To Brown Treesnakes, Peter J. Savarie, Tom C. Mathies, Kathleen A. Fagerstone

Managing Vertebrate Invasive Species

Polyvinyl chloride (PVC) tubes are effective bait stations for delivering dead neonatal mice (DNM) treated with the oral toxicant, 80 mg acetaminophen, to brown treesnakes (Boiga irregularis) in accessible jungle forest on Guam. However, PVC tubes are not practical for delivery of baits to remote areas of jungle or the forest canopy. Further, it is important that baits entangle in the canopy and not fall to the ground where they can be scavenged by non-target animals such as crabs. Data from helicopter aerial deployment of untreated DNM with radio transmitters that landed on the ground in areas of …


Population Ecology And Some Potential Impacts Of Emerging Populations Of Exotic Parrots, Douglas E. Runde, Will C. Pitt, J. T. Foster Aug 2007

Population Ecology And Some Potential Impacts Of Emerging Populations Of Exotic Parrots, Douglas E. Runde, Will C. Pitt, J. T. Foster

Managing Vertebrate Invasive Species

Parrots have been transported around the world since the 1400s and about 44 species have established populations outside of their native ranges. At least 70% of these introduced species were identified as potential agricultural pests, compared to only 15% of all parrot species. At least 74 exotic psittacines have been reported in the wild in the United States, but only nine species were considered established. Since 1990, 24 psittacine species have been sighted in the wild in Hawai`i, about 21 species regularly occur on the main islands and at least five appear established. Past history of successful introduction, recent status …


Habitattitude™: Getting A Backbone About The Pet Release Pathway, Jamie K. Reaser, N. Marshall Meyers Aug 2007

Habitattitude™: Getting A Backbone About The Pet Release Pathway, Jamie K. Reaser, N. Marshall Meyers

Managing Vertebrate Invasive Species

Many people would not consider their family complete without a pet. Unfortunately, for some pet owners, circumstances arise that prevent them from being able to properly care for their companions and pet abandonment has become one of the most common pathways of vertebrate species introduction. It is also one of the most challenging pathways to address once the animals become established, eradication and control programs face significant public scrutiny and are often challenged by “animal rights” groups. Prevention measures are thus the key to minimizing the size and impacts of the “pet release pathway.” Habitattitude™ is a proactive campaign designed …


Pest Eradication Technology – The Critical Partner To Pest Exclusion Technology: The Maungatautari Experience, Cam Speedy, Tim Day, John Innes Aug 2007

Pest Eradication Technology – The Critical Partner To Pest Exclusion Technology: The Maungatautari Experience, Cam Speedy, Tim Day, John Innes

Managing Vertebrate Invasive Species

Invasive pest eradication is an increasingly viable management option for conservation and wildlife managers all over the world. The list of successful rodent eradications from isolated islands continues to grow globally. Now, with the development of effective pest exclusion technologies, the opportunities for eradicating multiple species of vertebrate pests from progressively larger fragments of habitat in mainland situations are also increasing. Attempts at eradicating up to fifteen separate species of pest mammal from indigenous forest fragments protected by Xcluder™ pest proof fencing have been made on the main islands of New Zealand. These include various assemblages of multiple species of …


Monitoring The Sale And Trafficking Of Invasive Vertebrate Species Using Automated Internet Search And Surveillance Tools, Karl Suiter, Sanda Sferrazza Aug 2007

Monitoring The Sale And Trafficking Of Invasive Vertebrate Species Using Automated Internet Search And Surveillance Tools, Karl Suiter, Sanda Sferrazza

Managing Vertebrate Invasive Species

The internet is often an unregulated pathway that can lead to the introduction of invasive species. Surveillance of internet-related sale or trade activities can reduce the movement of potentially invasive species and serve to lessen the risk of an introduction. The Invasive Species Internet Monitoring System automates the process of searching the internet for suspect sites (e.g., internet storefronts, chat rooms, etc.) involved in the sale or trade of targeted species. Additionally, this software system incorporates data management features that permit the archiving of suspect website content, assists subject matter experts in evaluating sites for risk, send informational emails to …


Genetic Options For The Control Of Invasive Vertebrate Pests: Prospects And Constraints, Ronald E. Thresher Aug 2007

Genetic Options For The Control Of Invasive Vertebrate Pests: Prospects And Constraints, Ronald E. Thresher

Managing Vertebrate Invasive Species

Conventional methods for the control of invasive pests are generally effective only on small-space scales or short-time frames. For most well established pest populations, longer-term efforts to manage the problem have been largely abandoned. I examine the potential of using “autocidal” genetic techniques to control terrestrial vertebrate pests, based on the inheritance through males of transgenes that either sterilize females or convert them into functional males (“daughterless”). Simulation analysis of two high profile pest species, the cane toad (Bufo marinus) in Australia and brown rats (Rattus norvegicus) in an urban environment, using realistic parameters, suggests that …


Management Of Invasive Vertebrates In The United States: An Overview, Gary W. Witmer, Patrick W. Burke, Will C. Pitt, Michael L. Avery Aug 2007

Management Of Invasive Vertebrates In The United States: An Overview, Gary W. Witmer, Patrick W. Burke, Will C. Pitt, Michael L. Avery

Managing Vertebrate Invasive Species

At least 161 introduced/invasive vertebrates have become established in the United States and its territories, including at least 81 mammalian, 94 avian, and 86 reptilian/amphibian species. Particularly problematic species include feral cats and dogs; feral pigs; commensal rats and mice; starlings, pigeons, and house sparrows; and bullfrogs, brown treesnakes, and coqui frogs. We briefly review these introductions and the types of damage they cause. We review the basic types of methods used for control or eradication of each taxonomic group, including physical, chemical, biological, and cultural methods. We also discuss some of the challenges in managing these species, including issues …


The Brown Treesnake Rapid Response Team, James W. Stanford, Gordon H. Rodda Aug 2007

The Brown Treesnake Rapid Response Team, James W. Stanford, Gordon H. Rodda

Managing Vertebrate Invasive Species

In the 1940s the brown treesnake (Boiga irregularis) was accidentally transported to Guam and became established. Brown treesnakes have caused and continue to cause major problems for the ecology, economy, and quality of life on Guam. As Guam’s snake densities increased in the late 1970s, extralimital encounters began to be reported on islands with transportation links to Guam. In 1993, a major effort was initiated to reduce the potential for brown treesnakes to accidentally enter Guam’s transportation system. In 2002, a multi-agency Rapid Response Team (RRT) was established to assist in detection and capture of brown treesnakes on …


Florida’S Non-Native Avifauna, Michael L. Avery, Michael P. Moulton Aug 2007

Florida’S Non-Native Avifauna, Michael L. Avery, Michael P. Moulton

Managing Vertebrate Invasive Species

Florida has a mild climate, diverse natural habitats, and a growing, mobile human population. Florida also hosts thousands of species of introduced plants, fish, and wildlife. A recent compilation lists 196 non-native bird species, comprising 15 orders, which have occurred in Florida. The list includes 72 species of parrots and parakeets (psittaciformes), 51 passerines, and 22 species of waterfowl (anseriformes). First sightings of newly introduced bird species in Florida increased rapidly through the 1980s, but numbers of new species detected appear to have subsided since then. Sources of introductions are often not reported, but of those that are known, most …


Island Biosecurity As A Pest Management Tactic In New Zealand, Keith Broome Aug 2007

Island Biosecurity As A Pest Management Tactic In New Zealand, Keith Broome

Managing Vertebrate Invasive Species

New Zealand is an archipelago with many islands of conservation significance, none of which has the full suite of invasive vertebrate pests found on mainland New Zealand. Managing invasive species on New Zealand islands involves prevention of pests establishing and controlling or extirpating those already there. Prevention measures, referred to as island biosecurity, focuses on the three major pathways for pests to arrive: deliberate release, accidental release and swimming. Managing deliberate release is largely reactive but does have opportunities for prevention depending on the motivation of offenders. Managing accidental release is where most proactive work is done by Department of …


Landscape Genetics Of Feral Swine And Implications For Management, Johanna Delgado-Acevedo, Randy W. Deyoung, Tyler A. Campbell Aug 2007

Landscape Genetics Of Feral Swine And Implications For Management, Johanna Delgado-Acevedo, Randy W. Deyoung, Tyler A. Campbell

Managing Vertebrate Invasive Species

The management of the invasive feral pig (Sus scrofa) has been the subject of intense study in recent years. Feral pigs are also susceptible to diseases (e.g., brucellosis, pseudorabies) that can be transmitted to livestock, humans, and wildlife. Feral pigs clearly represent a threat to the sustainability of multiple agriculture products. Population reduction (trapping or shooting) is the best current alternative for controlling pig damage. However, reduction is crude and inefficient in terms of manpower and resources because pigs from neighboring areas quickly recolonize managed areas. We used a panel of 9 microsatellite loci to study broad-scale population …


Alaska’S Rat Spill Response Program, Steven M. Ebbert, Arthur Sowls, G. Vernon Byrd Aug 2007

Alaska’S Rat Spill Response Program, Steven M. Ebbert, Arthur Sowls, G. Vernon Byrd

Managing Vertebrate Invasive Species

The introduction of rodents on an island as a new predator usually interferes with natural island biodiversity, particularly on islands without any native mammalian predators. Many Alaskan islands, and most islands in the Aleutian Island region of the Alaska Maritime National Wildlife Refuge (AMNWR), are free of mammalian predators and are vulnerable to invasion by rodents. Rat introduction to islands can put ground-nesting birds, such as seabirds and endemic landbirds, at risk of extirpation. The refuge is also concerned about additional introductions of house mice. As far as we know, the introduction, or “spilling,” of rats onto refuge islands from …


The Path To Eradication Of The Gambian Giant Pouched Rat In Florida, Richard Engeman, Gary W. Witmer, Jean B. Bourassa, John W. Woolard, Bernice Constantin, Parker T. Hall, Scott Hardin, Neil D. Perry Aug 2007

The Path To Eradication Of The Gambian Giant Pouched Rat In Florida, Richard Engeman, Gary W. Witmer, Jean B. Bourassa, John W. Woolard, Bernice Constantin, Parker T. Hall, Scott Hardin, Neil D. Perry

Managing Vertebrate Invasive Species

A thriving population of Gambian giant pouched rats became established on Grassy Key, a 550-ha island in Florida, following escape(s) from an exotic pet breeder. After existence of the population was verified, computer models indicated that Gambian giant pouched rats could successfully invade a large portion of North America if they reached the mainland. This largest of rat species is highly prolific, and its dispersal to the mainland could result in substantial negative impacts to agriculture, environment, and wildlife. Additionally, Gambian giant pouched rats are known vectors of a variety of diseases transmissible to humans and livestock. The first action …