Black Tree Snake Free Essay Example, 1000 words

The USDA (United States Department of Agriculture) and the Department of Defense has taken it as a high priority to prevent migration of this species to Hawaii. (USDA, October 1998) Due to the escalating problems caused to the ecosystem and damage caused by the Boiga endangering the lives of many of the species of birds and animals going to the extent of making them extinct, the Government has swung into action to control the snakes. Its first aim is â€Å"to deter its dispersal through Guams cargo traffic to other locations†. (Integrated Pest Management Reviews, Vol. 6, March 2001) Another objective is to protect Guam from the Brown Tree snake intrusion by capturing and controlling the growing population of snakes. â€Å"To manage the impacts of biological invasions, it is important to determine the mechanisms responsible for the effects invasive species have on native populations†. (Journal on Biological Invasions, Vol. 5, March 2003) Problems of the species: The Boiga was first introduced to Guam in the 1940’s and 50’s during which time there was abundant prey and not many predators. As time passed the species multiplied to such a great extent on the island that it caused a lot of ecological and economic disturbances and problems. We will write a custom essay sample on Black Tree Snake or any topic specifically for you Only $17.96 $11.86/pageorder now They also incur huge economic losses by causing electrical outages when climbing electrical transmission wires and short circuiting the wires. Millions of dollars are lost due to this. Reports from the Agricultural department too show that heavy losses are incurred by treating animals like dogs, puppies, rabbits and goats. etc. from the venomous bite of the Boiga. It has also proved to be a menace to Guam’s ecosystem which is thrown into imbalance because many species of birds and animals are almost become extinct. Steps taken to reduce the population of Brown tree Snakes: One of the most effective methods to get rid of these snakes is by fumigation using Methyl Bromide. As Fritts says, â€Å"It is mildly venomous and poses a human health risk†. (Fritts, 1990). Fumigation of huge containers in the harbor showed that Methyl Bromide was very effective in killing the snakes. Another method used is by using sniffer dogs who sniffed out the se snakes from their hiding places. Other methods include setting various kinds of traps to trap the snakes. Forest staff keep a close check by day and by night to protect the areas where these snakes frequent. The Boiga Irregularis has proved to be a menace and a threat to the Ecological balance of the environment.