#brown tree snake

[boiga]

A brown catsnake (Boiga irregularis) in Tetepare, Solomon Islands.

by Julien NKS

[fanfic-obsessed23]

Octonauts and the Micronesian Mystery {part 37}

Octonauts and the Micronesian Mystery Season 5 English

Good day/night my dear octonauts tumbrs, I also forgot to post this one, sorry, anyway enjoy this episode featuring Dashi, Koshi, Shellington and minor Inkling :)

TC part 36

TC part 38

[pleistocene-pride]

Boiga irregularis, better known as the brown tree snake or brown catsnake is an arboreal rear-fanged colubrid snake native to eastern and northern coastal Australia, eastern Indonesia, Papua New Guinea, and many islands in northwestern Melanesia. Due to an accidental introduction after the events of World War II, this snake is now infamous for being an invasive species responsible for extirpating the majority of the native bird population in Guam. Extensive ongoing efforts are being made to reduce and control the population on Guam and prevent the snake from spreading to other locations. Brown tree snakes typically inhabit both dry and rainforests, grasslands, and caves. These primarily nocturnal snakes spend the day in trees, hollow logs, rock crevices, caves, and even the dark corners buildings. They are generalist feeders which prey upon a variety of invertebrates, birds, amphibians, lizards and small snakes, eggs, bats, shrews, small marsupials, and small rodents. Reaching on average 3.3 to 6.6ft (1-2m), with exceptional individuals getting up to 9.8ft (3m) in length, the brown tree snake is long and slender animal with a large head and distinctive "cat-eyed" vertical pupils. They may vary in coloration from lightly patterned brown to yellowish/green or even beige with red, saddle-shaped blotches. The snake has numerous teeth, but only the last two on each side of the upper jaw have grooves, which inject venom as it bites. Therefore, the snake's mouth must be opened as wide as possible to insert and expose its fangs. A chewing movement is used by the snake to inject the venom by means of capillary action along the grooved fangs. The venom is used to subdue and kill prey on which the snake feeds; however, the venom is not considered dangerous to adult humans. Breeding may occur year round based on climatic conditions, with females laying up to 2 clutches of 4 to 12 leathery oblong eggs inside a hollow tree, fallen log, or rock crevice. These eggs hatch after around 90 days incubation. Under ideal conditions a brown tree snake will reach sexual maturity at around 3-4 years of age and may live up to 15.

[dendroica]

Red List 2019: Guam Rail second bird to recover from extinction in wild | BirdLife

The Guam Rail Hypotaenidia owstoni is only the second bird in history to come back from being declared Extinct in the Wild – the first being the California Condor Gymnogyps californianus in the late 1980s, whose plight was infamously accelerated by an accidental forest fire caused by the country singer Johnny Cash. In this year’s update to the IUCN Red List of Threatened Species (for which BirdLife is the authority for birds), the Guam Rail follows in the footsteps of this high-profile species.

Once widely distributed across the island of Guam in the western Pacific, this fast-running flightless bird plummeted following the accidental introduction of Brown Tree Snakes Boiga irregularis by a US military cargo ship at the end of World War Two. This invasive predator has since profoundly changed the island’s ecosystem, driving three endemic bird species extinct and threatening several others with the same fate. In 1987, in a last-ditch bid to protect it, the final 21 Guam Rails were taken into captivity. Today, thanks to a 35-year captive breeding programme, a small population is now firmly established on neighbouring Cocos Island, where snakes are absent. However, as Cocos Island is just 38 hectares, the population size is likely to remain extremely small, so the species is still classed as Critically Endangered. For it to return to mainland Guam, the Brown Tree Snake would need to be removed altogether.

[mudpuddling-moved]

brown tree snake (Boiga irregularis) in Mangilao, Guam

[megadiverse]

Brown tree snake (Boiga irregularis), Melbourne Zoo

That gaze was focused on its own tail, which it was slowly wiggling around in the act of caudal luring.

[snakeoutbrisbane]

Brown Tree Snake (Boiga irregularis)

[snakeoutbrisbane]

Brown tree snake (Boiga irregularis)

This gorgeous brown tree snake took up shelter to shed his skin in an unfortunate location; a paintball battlefield hangout/staging area! Much more peaceful down at a nearby creek away from high velocity paintball mayhem :)