2/20/14

Invasive Animal: the Brown Tree Snake

The brown tree snake, also known by its scientific name, Boiga irregularis, is a unique
snake of the Colubridae family. Exploring the characteristics of this snake shows us that it is a
particularly notable species. First, the brown tree snake has a long, slender body that can grow
to a total of 3 to 7 feet when it becomes an adult, and it also has a variety of color variation,
particularly brown or green with cross-band markings (britannica.com; Patrick, 2001). It also
has a wide head with large eyes (britannica.com). However, a major physical characteristic of
this snake is its two grooved teeth located in the back of the upper jaw that is used to inject
venom that paralyses and kills its prey, although the venom is mildly poisonous and is not
considered dangerous to adult humans (britannica.com;
fort.usgs.gov/resources/education/bts/bioeco). This snake is able to climb trees, vines, and
rocks and to hide in small spaces (britannica.com). From this description and throughout this
paper, one will also see that the brown tree snake is not only a species of notable qualities but
also a problematic invasive species because it has caused a number of concerns in its non-native
habitats. The brown tree snake, as an invasive species, has become a serious environmental and
economic problem to the places it has been introduced, mainly in Guam, and it should be placed
under containment controls immediately.
The brown tree snake is native to the islands immediately west of Wallaces Line and to
New Guinea and the northern and eastern coasts of Australia (britannica.com). Although it has
a variety of habitats, of its specific areas of native habitation, it can be found in coastlands,
natural forests, grasslands, wetlands, and even in urban areas (issg.org). In New Guinea and
Australia, where the snake is found, the climate is warm and at times hot and humid

(worldfacts.us; geography.about.com/library/cia/blcaustralia). In New Guinea, there are flat

plains and many hills and mountains, and in Australia, there are low plateaus and fertile plains
(worldfacts.us; geography.about.com/library/cia/blcaustralia). Given that the brown tree snake is
native in these places, New Guinea and Australia also have grasslands and warm areas.
The brown tree snake is also an effective predator in its native habitats. The snake is
known to be active at night, and it feeds mostly on small mammals and vertebrates (Patrick,
2001; fort.usgs.gov/resources/education/bts/bioeco). These include lizards, frogs, birds, and
other small mammals (fort.usgs.gov/resources/education/bts/bieco). Since it is active at night,
this snake can catch its prey most efficiently because some of its prey rests at night. The brown
tree snake also immobilizes its meals by wrapping its body around its prey and repeatedly biting
it, injecting its venom (britannica.com). On the other hand, there are few identified animals that
are known to prey on the brown tree snake; the most notable are pigs and monitor lizards
(Patrick, 2001). All in all, ecologically, this snake plays an important role in its native habitats
by keeping the number of small animals in New Guinea and Australia in check.
However, the brown tree snake has become a large economic and ecological concern in
some of the places it has been introduced or has invaded, most notably in the island of Guam.
The snake is believed to have been introduced in Guam in the 1950s as a stowaway in U.S.
military ships and planes, particularly during World War II (Patrick, 2001). It is also likely that
this species was brought into the island in passage ships and planes and as pets for the human
inhabitants of Guam. Like New Guinea and Australia, Guam has warm climates. Furthermore,
it has steep coastal cliffs and narrow coastal plains in the north, low hills in the center, and
mountains in the south (geography.about.com/library/cia/blcusgu).

In any case, the brown tree snake is very noticeable in Guam because its population in
Guam has grown to 4,000-10,000 per square mile, and it has feed on and caused the extinction
of over half of Guams native bird and lizard species and two native bat species (Patrick,
2001). Plus, some of the animal species that became extinct were endemic at the species or
subspecies level (Patrick, 2001). In addition, the plants and the landscape of Guam are also
affected by this snake because, as the birds and lizards in the island are declining in number,
seeds and pollens are not being spread as much as before, and thus the native plants and trees are
limited in their coverage of areas (issg.org). On the other hand, the snakes actions in Guam
could also be providing an opening for other plants and animal species, like other snake species
(introduced or not), to overpopulate Guam, which could cause an imbalance of Guams predator
population. These ecological disasters may also be due to the fact that there does not seem to be
many predators for the brown tree snake in Guam. From these facts, it is almost certain that the
brown tree snake may soon become the most dominant animal in the island as a population and
as an environmental displacement.
The brown tree snake is also negatively affecting human life and the economy in Guam
although the only notable benefit it has provided for them is that it helps them to reduce the
number of other introduced species (Patrick, 2001). One major way that it is causing problems is
that the snake has caused many power outages, affecting private, commercial, and military
activities with some being widespread or island-wide blackouts (issg.org). As mentioned
previously, the snake can reside in urban areas, but they mostly hide in dark corners of houses
and other shaded places in the daytime. The brown tree snake is also the cause of thousands of
hospital emergency room visits on the island (United States Department of Defense, 2008).
On some occasions, the snake would bite infants and young children. The Global Invasive

Species Database admits that this species poses a potential health hazard to infants and young
children (issg.org). Furthermore, not only is the brown tree snake a danger to young children,
but it is also the cause of increased insect populations in Guam since it is eating the birds and
bats responsible for limiting insect populations. Thus, the people of Guam are likely to be in
danger of various diseases.
Moreover, the brown tree snake is causing the loss of thousands of dollars in electric
services and agricultural services in Guam. According to the Global Invasive Species Database,
Guam loses about $1 to $4 million dollars each year because of direct damages and lost
productivity in electric power (Fritts & Leasman-Tanner, 2001; Fritts, 2002). The brown tree
snake also causes direct and indirect interference in agriculture, as the increased insect
population feeds on produced fruits and vegetables, and the snake itself feeds on farm animals,
poultry, and pets (Fritts & Leasman-Tanner, 2001; Patrick, 2001). All of these cause serious
economic losses as well as the loss of locally-produced foods for the people of Guam.
On the other hand, the possibility of the snakes invasion is considered in Hawaii.
Although the snake is not known to be present in Hawaii at this time, there were eight brown
tree snakes discovered between 1981 and 1998 (hawaiiinvasivespecies.org). The University of
Hawaii made an estimation that the introduction of the brown tree snake to Hawaii could cost
between $28,500,000 and $405,000,000 annually (hawaiiinvasivespecies.org). Although the
consequences of such an introduction might not be as serious as that in Guam, the brown tree
snake would still cause an imbalance in Hawaiis ecosystem and in human life in turn.
According to Encyclopedia Britannica, the snakes population has grown to 4,000-10,000
per square mile across the entire island of Guam, meaning that the limiting factors surrounding
its growth are all but gone; thus, it is impossible to completely remove the snake from the island.

I feel that immediate action to control and contain this species should be called for. I believe that
the best methods of handling this species are to contain their population number through the use
of trapping and the construction of barriers. According to the Fort Collins Science Center,
barriers are significant device for ongoing use in control and interdiction efforts
(fort.usgs.gov/resources/education/bts/control/barriers). These barriers can be temporary or
permanent. Permanent barriers involve encircling extra-sensitive areas, such as power stations
or some ecological area of high snake concentrations using masonry, metal mesh, or the like
(Patrick, 2001). Permanent barriers can also be used to create small, predator-free nature
reserves (issg.org). Temporary barriers involve encircling the area most likely to contain one
or more snakes sighted using nets and shade cloth
(fort.usgs.gov/resources/education/bts/control/barriers; Patrick, 2001). On the other hand, traps
can also be used. One trap involves using a modified funnel or minnow trap, which is a mesh
cylinder that attracts the brown tree snake using a live creature in a separate, secure inner
chamber (fort.usgs.gov/resources/education/bts/control/trapping).
However, building permanent barriers and setting up traps around Guam is very costly
compared to using temporary barriers, and the trapping of the wrong animals, like native lizards,
can end up in the loss of more native animals to the brown tree snake. Despite this, I think that
small barriers and a limited range of traps should be used because studies found it possible to
create small, predator-free nature reserves using a combination of snake barriers and trapping
methods (issg.org). Plus, the snake seems to have cost Guam more dollars in electrical and
agricultural services.
It is clear that the brown tree snake is a serious, problematic invasive species in the areas
it has been introduced, particularly in the island of Guam. Like most invasive species, this snake

will cause a large ecological disturbance and big economic costs in its new habitats if nothing is
done to control their movements or prevent them from moving out of their native areas. Thus, I
strongly suggest that immediate preventive actions should be considered and be put in place.
The people of Guam should make use of barriers and snake traps to control the snake population,
and Hawaii should also introduce preventive actions to prevent the snake from populating its
group of islands.

Work-Cited
"Boiga irregularis (reptile)." Issg.org. Global Invasive Species Database, 16 Aug 2009.
Web. 1 Feb 2014. http://www.issg.org/database/species/ecology.asp?
si=54&fr=1&sts=sss&lang=EN
"Brown Treesnake, Aka BTS." (Boiga Irregularis). N.p., n.d. Web. 02 Feb. 2014.
http://www.hawaiiinvasivespecies.org/pests/browntreesnake.html
"Brown Tree Snake (reptile)." Encyclopedia Britannica Online. Encyclopedia Britannica,
n.d. Web. 02 Feb. 2014. http://www.britannica.com/EBchecked/topic/686901/brown-tree-snake
"Control and Containment Strategies on Guam: Physical Barriers." The Brown Treesnake
on Guam. USGS: Science for a Changing World, n.d. Web. 2 Feb. 2014.
http://www.fort.usgs.gov/resources/education/bts/control/barriers.asp
"Control and Containment Strategies on Guam: Trapping." Control and Containment
Strategies on Guam: Trapping. N.p., n.d. Web. 01 Feb. 2014.
http://www.fort.usgs.gov/resources/education/bts/control/trapping.asp
"Facts About Guinea." Facts About Guinea. N.p., n.d. Web. 02 Feb. 2014.
http://worldfacts.us/Guinea.htm
"Geography and Map of Guam - Geography." Geography and Map of Guam Geography. About.com, n.d. Web. 19 Feb. 2014.
http://geography.about.com/library/cia/blcusgu.htm
"Geography and Map of Australia." Geography and Map of Australia. N.p., n.d. Web. 02
Feb. 2014. http://geography.about.com/library/cia/blcaustralia.htm
"The Brown Treesnake." The Brown Tree Snake. USGS: Science for a Changing World,
n.d. Web. 01 Feb. 2014. http://www.fort.usgs.gov/resources/education/bts/bioeco/btsnake.asp
7

Fritts, T.H. & D. Leasman-Tanner. 2001. The Brown Treesnake on Guam: How the
arrival of one invasive species damaged the ecology, commerce, electrical systems, and human
health on Guam: A comprehensive information source.
http://www.fort.usgs.gov/resources/education/bts/bts_home.asp [Accessed 16 December 2009]
Fritts, T.H. 2002. Economic costs of electrical system instability and power outages
caused by snakes on the Island of Guam. International Biodeterioration & Biodegradation
49:93-100.
Patrick, Lisa. "Invasion Biology Introduced Species Summary Project - Columbia
University." Invasion Biology Introduced Species Summary Project - Columbia University.
Columbia University, 11 Oct. 2001. Web. 29 Jan. 2014. http://www.columbia.edu/itc/cerc/danoffburg/invasion_bio/inv_spp_summ/boiga_irregularis.html
United States Department of Defense. 2008. Report to the Congress: Control of the
Brown Tree Snake (BTS).
http://www.afpmb.org/docs/bts/TAB%20B%20BTS%20REPORT%20TO%20CONGRESS
%20Aug%20FINAL.pdf [Accessed 16 December 2009]