tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7443075087825368900.post5202042552893558324..comments2024-01-04T05:26:02.451-07:00Comments on Life is short, but snakes are long: The first invasive snakeAndrew Dursohttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04720822623046554913noreply@blogger.comBlogger10125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7443075087825368900.post-5920571993037317812014-03-09T09:03:48.692-06:002014-03-09T09:03:48.692-06:00Thanks so much for your comment Ashley. I too was ...Thanks so much for your comment Ashley. I too was surprised that careless pet ownership was nothing new and amazed by the weapons story. There are an incredible number of introduced amphibians and reptiles around the globe, to say nothing of the introduced birds, mammals, plants, and invertebrates, some of which have become so ingratiated in the native landscape that scarcely anyone recognizes that they weren't originally from there.Andrew Dursohttps://www.blogger.com/profile/04720822623046554913noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7443075087825368900.post-43660934741348973772014-03-09T04:11:17.527-06:002014-03-09T04:11:17.527-06:00What a really interesting read, I knew of the pyth...What a really interesting read, I knew of the python issues in the US, but never thought of snakes as invasive, and showing they have been for so many years, incredible. <br /><br />I always assumed these things were a modern invention brought about through careless pet ownership etc. (or rather callous pet ownership, like the terrapin/turtle invasions that occurred due to a certain cartoon! I know we have those in Milton Keynes in various areas since people realised they lived a long time and got quite large).<br /><br />I love the thought that a species could become invasive after being used as a weapon just seems so far fetched.<br /><br />Anyway, thank you for posting such a wonderful article, it's really opened my eyes to something new.Anonymoushttps://www.blogger.com/profile/08739665823451659893noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7443075087825368900.post-52680941988468731992014-03-04T11:20:51.868-07:002014-03-04T11:20:51.868-07:00John, thanks for the fascinating information. I ha...John, thanks for the fascinating information. I had no idea that introduction took place so long ago. We like to think that competition probably doesn't play a very strong role in structuring snake communities, but this is one case where it definitely may have (not to discount the potential role of predation by Lycodon on young Bolyeria/Casarea).Andrew Dursohttps://www.blogger.com/profile/04720822623046554913noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7443075087825368900.post-68773192402971088842014-03-04T08:37:28.003-07:002014-03-04T08:37:28.003-07:00The introduction of Lycodon to Mauritius apparentl...The introduction of <i>Lycodon</i> to Mauritius apparently occurred quite early (pre-1850), so it may have overlapped on the main island with <i>Casarea</i> and/or <i>Bolyeria</i>, which have not been recorded alive there. <i>L. aulicus</i> rather resembles <i>C. dussumieri</i> in habing a relatively long and narrow snout and relatively long, 'canininorm' anterior teeth which are useful for puncturing hard-scaled skinks. The extinction of bolyeriids outside the tiny Round Island is attributed to pigs, goats and general habitat buggeration, but maybe <i>Lycodon</i> played a role too.John Scanlon, FCDhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/02917650979531249640noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7443075087825368900.post-57390866271999389792014-02-02T15:28:26.695-07:002014-02-02T15:28:26.695-07:00Sean,
According to Lever's (1999) 'Natura...Sean,<br /><br />According to Lever's (1999) 'Naturalized Amphibians and Reptiles of the World', pp. 134-135: "...some 3500 cobras had been imported from Malaysia to Okinawajima in the Ryukyu archipelago by the Rido Company for entertainment purposes. Between 1991 and 1993 seven cobras were observed or captured in the wild near Nago City...the species' survival in Nago City was confirmed in 1999..."<br /><br />They cite:<br /><br />Ota, H. 1999. Introduced amphibians and reptiles of the Ryukyu Archipelago, Japan. Pages 439-452 in G. H. Rodda, Y. Sawai, D. Chiszar, and H. Tanaka, editors. Problem Snake Management: the Habu and the Brown Treesnake. Comstock Publishing Associates, Ithaca, New York.<br /><br />and<br /><br />Shiroma, H., S. Katsuren, and M. Nozaki. 1994. Cobra species in Nago, Okinawa. Ann. Rep. Okinawa Pref. Inst. Health Env. 28:89-93.<br /><br />which I have not read but I have interlibrary loaned a copy of the latter. When I get it I'll let you know what it says.Andrew Dursohttps://www.blogger.com/profile/04720822623046554913noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7443075087825368900.post-37008062299404187642014-02-02T03:10:35.483-07:002014-02-02T03:10:35.483-07:00Monocled Cobras in the Ryukyu Islands?????
I would...Monocled Cobras in the Ryukyu Islands?????<br />I would like to see the source of this.Anonymoushttps://www.blogger.com/profile/18051760869494253767noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7443075087825368900.post-4058521585435420132014-01-28T20:03:57.577-07:002014-01-28T20:03:57.577-07:00Good point John. I don't know of any studies t...Good point John. I don't know of any studies that attempt to date the first blindsnake invasions. One of the reasons I didn't mention Brahminy blindsnakes is that they are parthenogenetic, and also they feed frequently, so I didn't think they really fit the paradigm of invasive snakes I was describing here. But don't worry, I am planning another whole post on them soon!Andrew Dursohttps://www.blogger.com/profile/04720822623046554913noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7443075087825368900.post-70217128993814176512014-01-28T19:57:39.919-07:002014-01-28T19:57:39.919-07:00Andrew, I'm a little surprised that you did...Andrew, I'm a little surprised that you did'nt mention the Blind Snakes sp?, called Pot Snakes in Hawaii. The details of their arrival are fuzzy in my mind; But this is a species of snake that originated in Asia somewhere and island hopped throughout the South Pacific with the first human inhabitants. It is believed that Polynesian explorers carried potted plants on their boats and the Blind Snakes stowed away in the potted plants. These snakes are probably the first invasive snake species.johnhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/05008523039059312800noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7443075087825368900.post-79682302543576772762014-01-28T11:04:26.887-07:002014-01-28T11:04:26.887-07:00Thanks Joey! Whether native or introduced, snakes ...Thanks Joey! Whether native or introduced, snakes are hard to find, so I'm not surprised you haven't seen one there. Good luck finding one!Andrew Dursohttps://www.blogger.com/profile/04720822623046554913noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7443075087825368900.post-50214881103442926802014-01-28T11:01:55.030-07:002014-01-28T11:01:55.030-07:00Interesting post. I was born in Mallorca and used ...Interesting post. I was born in Mallorca and used to visit yearly to visit family. I remember seeing many lizards but don't recall actually ever seeing a snake, not that I was looking for them. I will have to make sure I do a little herping next time i visit my relatives in Mallorca. Natrix Maura looks like a very pretty snake indeed.Anonymoushttps://www.blogger.com/profile/06093172072114750131noreply@blogger.com