Mechanisms underlying the failure of an attempt to eradicate the invasive Asian musk shrew Suncus murinus from an island nature reserve

Seymour, Adrian S.; Varnham, Karen; Roy, Sugoto; Harris, Stephen; Bhageerutty, Lucy; Church, Stuart C.; Harris, Alex C.; Jennings, Nancy; Jones, Carl G.; Khadun, Ashok; Mauremootoo, J.; Newman, Tabetha J; Tatayah, Vikash; Webbon, Charlotte C.; Wilson, G. B.

doi:10.1016/j.biocon.2005.03.005

Cited by 18 publications

(18 citation statements)

References 15 publications

Supporting

Mentioning

Contrasting

Order By: Relevance

“…Experiences from eradication campaigns can be reported in international, peer‐reviewed journals and in online databases (e.g., Island Conservation Global Islands Invasive Vertebrate Eradication Database [http://db.islandconservation.org/]). Reports detailing failed eradication attempts (Seymour et al 2005; MacKay et al 2007; Pacific Invasives Initiative 2009) will be especially instructive for future operations, even if the cause of failure is poorly understood or embarrassing.…”

Section: Recommendations For Mammal Eradication On Inhabited Islandsmentioning

confidence: 99%

Eradication of Invasive Mammals on Islands Inhabited by Humans and Domestic Animals

Oppel

Beaven²,

Bolton

et al. 2010

Conservation Biology

113

View full text Add to dashboard Cite

Non-native invasive mammal species have caused major ecological change on many islands. To conserve native species diversity, invasive mammals have been eradicated from several islands not inhabited by humans. We reviewed the challenges associated with campaigns to eradicate invasive mammals from islands inhabited by humans and domestic animals. On these islands, detailed analyses of the social, cultural, and economic costs and benefits of eradication are required to increase the probability of local communities supporting the eradication campaign. The ecological benefits of eradication (e.g., improvement of endemic species' probability of survival) are difficult to trade-off against social and economic costs due to the lack of a common currency. Local communities may oppose an eradication campaign because of perceived health hazards, inconvenience, financial burdens, religious beliefs, or other cultural reasons. Besides these social challenges, the presence of humans and domestic animals also complicates eradication and biosecurity procedures (measures taken to reduce the probability of unwanted organisms colonizing an island to near zero). For example, houses, garbage-disposal areas, and livestock-feeding areas can provide refuges for certain mammals and therefore can decrease the probability of a successful eradication. Transport of humans and goods to an island increases the probability of inadvertent reintroduction of invasive mammals, and the establishment of permanent quarantine measures is required to minimize the probability of unwanted recolonization after eradication. We recommend a close collaboration between island communities, managers, and social scientists from the inception of an eradication campaign to increase the probability of achieving and maintaining an island permanently free of invasive mammals.

show abstract

Section: Recommendations For Mammal Eradication On Inhabited Islandsmentioning

confidence: 99%

Eradication of Invasive Mammals on Islands Inhabited by Humans and Domestic Animals

Oppel

Beaven²,

Bolton

et al. 2010

Conservation Biology

113

View full text Add to dashboard Cite

show abstract

“…), and both pink pigeon ( Columba mayeri ) and Mauritius Fody ( Foudia rubra ) to Ile aux Aigrettes (Seymour et al . ; Cristinnace et al . ), and reptiles including whiptail lizards ( Cnemidophorus vanzoi ) to Praslin Island, Saint Lucia (Dickinson & Fa ), Antiguan racers ( Alsophis antiguae ) to offshore islands of Antigua (Daltry et al .…”

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 97%

“…Seymour et al . () calculated that 20 females of S. murinus on Ile aux Aigrettes could potentially generate a population of 550 individuals over a five‐month reproductive season. On Ile aux Aigrettes, eradication programmes appeared to be successful for a while, but it soon became clear that some individuals had survived, and population recovery was rapid (Varnham et al .…”

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Dietary competition between the alien Asian Musk Shrew (Suncus murinus) and a re‐introduced population of Telfair's Skink (Leiolopisma telfairii)

et al. 2013

View full text Add to dashboard Cite

Re-introduction of rare species to parts of their historical range is becoming increasingly important as a conservation strategy. Telfair's Skinks (Leiolopisma telfairii), once widespread on Mauritius, were until recently found only on Round Island. There it is vulnerable to stochastic events, including the introduction of alien predators that may either prey upon it or compete for food resources. Consequently, skinks have been introduced to Ile aux Aigrettes, another small Mauritian island that has been cleared of rats. However, the island has been invaded by Asian Musk Shrews (Suncus murinus), a commensal species spread by man well beyond its natural Asian range. Our aim was to use next-generation sequencing to analyse the diets of the shrews and skinks to look for niche competition. DNA was extracted from skink faeces and from the stomach contents of shrews. Application of shrew- and skink-specific primers revealed no mutual predation. The DNA was then amplified using general invertebrate primers with tags to identify individual predators, and then sequenced by 454 pyrosequencing. 119 prey MOTUs (molecular taxonomic units) were isolated, although none could be identified to species. Seeding of cladograms with known sequences allowed higher taxonomic assignments in some cases. Although most MOTUs were not shared by shrews and skinks, Pianka's niche overlap test showed significant prey overlap, suggesting potentially strong competition where food resources are limited. These results suggest that removal of the shrews from the island should remain a priority.

show abstract

“…Although some researchers have documented a similar response (e.g., fig. 6 in Seymour et al [2005]), the general consensus is that S. murinus is neophilic and likely to investigate, rather than avoid, new objects (Churchfield 1990). The pattern of temporal variation was less clear for M. musculus, although there was an indication of increasing capture probability over time on Rota, Saipan, and Tinian.…”

Section: Modeling Capture and Recapture Probabilitymentioning

confidence: 99%

Distribution, Density, and Biomass of Introduced Small Mammals in the Southern Mariana Islands

2009

View full text Add to dashboard Cite

Although it is generally accepted that introduced small mammals have detrimental effects on island ecology, our understanding of these effects is frequently limited by incomplete knowledge of small mammal distribution, density, and biomass. Such information is especially critical in the Mariana Islands, where small mammal density is inversely related to effectiveness of Brown Tree Snake (Boiga irregularis) control tools, such as mouse-attractant traps. We used mark-recapture sampling to determine introduced small mammal distribution, density, and biomass in the major habitats of Guam, Rota, Saipan, and Tinian, including grassland, Leucaena forest, and native limestone forest. Of the five species captured, Rattus diardii (sensu Robins et al. 2007) was most common across habitats and islands. In contrast, Mus musculus was rarely captured at forested sites, Suncus murinus was not captured on Rota, and R. exulans and R. norvegicus captures were uncommon. Modeling indicated that neophobia, island, sex, reproductive status, and rain amount influenced R. diardii capture probability, whereas time, island, and capture heterogeneity influenced S. murinus and M. musculus capture probability. Density and biomass were much greater on Rota, Saipan, and Tinian than on Guam, most likely a result of Brown Tree Snake predation pressure on the latter island. Rattus diardii and M. musculus density and biomass were greatest in grassland, whereas S. murinus density and biomass were greatest in Leucaena forest. The high densities documented during this research suggest that introduced small mammals (especially R. diardii) are impacting abundance and diversity of the native fauna and flora of the Mariana Islands. Further, Brown Tree Snake control and management tools that rely on mouse attractants will be less effective on Rota, Saipan, and Tinian than on Guam. If the Brown Tree Snake becomes established on these islands, high-density introduced small mammal populations will likely facilitate and support a high-density Brown Tree Snake population, even as native species are reduced or extirpated.

show abstract

Mechanisms underlying the failure of an attempt to eradicate the invasive Asian musk shrew Suncus murinus from an island nature reserve

Cited by 18 publications

References 15 publications

Eradication of Invasive Mammals on Islands Inhabited by Humans and Domestic Animals

Eradication of Invasive Mammals on Islands Inhabited by Humans and Domestic Animals

Dietary competition between the alien Asian Musk Shrew (Suncus murinus) and a re‐introduced population of Telfair's Skink (Leiolopisma telfairii)

Distribution, Density, and Biomass of Introduced Small Mammals in the Southern Mariana Islands

Contact Info

Product

Resources

About