Non‐native rats detected on uninhabited southern Grenadine islands with seabird colonies

Smart, Wayne A.; Collier, Natalia; Rolland, Virginie

doi:10.1002/ece3.7313

Cited by 4 publications

(4 citation statements)

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“…Goats are the most observed non-native mammal in the Grenadines and the most abundant and widespread large herbivore. Goats were present, primarily as feral populations, on at least 15 islands, with unconfirmed reports from additional islands (Table 1; Sustainable Grenadines, Inc. 2014, Freid and Glasgow 2015, Noonan 2015, Smart 2019, Coffey and Collier 2020. Goats were present on both islands hosting globally important seabird colonies (Battowia and Les Tantes), almost all of the islands hosting regionally significant seabird populations, and most of the government-owned wildlife reserves and marine protected areas, despite being prohibited by legislation in both nations (Fig.…”

Section: Goats Sheep and Cowsmentioning

confidence: 93%

“…Opossums subsist on an omnivorous diet, including items such as insects, plants, eggs, birds, and turtle hatchlings, produce a high number of offspring per year, and have no natural predators (Brown et al 1993, USAID 2010. While only confirmed on Petit Bateau, anecdotal evidence suggests that opossums are present on at least three other uninhabited Grenadine islands (Isle de Caille, Sandy Island, and Isle de Ronde) and historical accounts support their presence on Isle de Ronde (Table 1; Borroto-Páez and Woods 2012, Sustainable Grenadines, Inc. 2014, Smart 2019. Fisherfolk attributed the elimination of the remaining seabird populations on Isle de Ronde to cats and opossums (Lowrie et al 2012), and reduced vegetation and seabird species richness on Petit Bateau are also thought to be linked to their presence (USAID 2010).…”

Section: Opossumsmentioning

confidence: 99%

“…Because peak seabird nesting activity overlaps with the dry season, rodents may be attracted to seabird chicks and eggs due to limited food and water resources (Caut et al 2008). Responses to surveys by Smart (2019) revealed that only 1 of 32 local respondents considered rats to be harmful to breeding seabirds, indicating a substantial need for further public education on the subject.…”

Section: Cats and Dogsmentioning

confidence: 99%

“…Browne and Culzac (2019) deployed chew blocks on Battowia over 1 week. Smart (2019) conducted rodent surveys on five islands in the Grenada Grenadines (Diamond Rock, Grass Island, Les Tantes East, Sandy Island, and Lee Rock) using chew blocks, tracking tunnels, and trail cameras to determine the effects of rodents on seabird nesting success between 2014 and 2017. Finally, researchers with Flora and Fauna International (FFI) conducted preliminary invasive species surveys overnight on Petit Nevis, Petit Canouan, Isle à Quatre, and Pigeon Island (SVG) in 2019 (S. Steele pers.…”

mentioning

confidence: 99%

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Introduced mammals threaten the Grenadines transboundary tropical seabird hotspot

Coffey

Collier

2021

JCO

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A minimum of nine species of introduced mammals inhabit at least 19 remote islands throughout the Grenadines—an archipelago that hosts globally and regionally significant colonies of breeding seabirds and represents one of the few remaining strongholds for seabirds in the Lesser Antilles. This paper presents a contemporary inventory of non-native mammal species on islands in the Grenadines, with a particular focus on breeding seabirds and protected areas, and explores the wider implications of complex sociocultural barriers to conservation. Keywords eradication, Grenadines, introduced species, invasive species, island restoration, seabird Resumen Los mamíferos introducidos amenazan el punto caliente de biodiversidad transfronterizo de aves marinas tropicales de las Granadinas • Un mínimo de nueve especies de mamíferos introducidos habitan al menos 19 islas remotas en las Granadinas, un archipiélago que alberga colonias de aves marinas reproductoras de importancia mundial y regional; y que representa uno de los pocos reductos que quedan para este grupo de aves en las Antillas Menores. Este artículo presenta un inventario actual de las especies de mamíferos no nativos en las islas de las Granadinas, con especial atención en las aves marinas nidifcantes y las áreas protegidas. Además explora las implicaciones más amplias de las complejas barreras socioculturales para la conservación. Palabras clave aves marinas, erradicación, especies introducidas, especies invasoras, Granadinas, restauración de islas Résumé Des mammifères introduits menacent un haut lieu transfrontalier pour les oiseaux marins tropicaux dans les Grenadines • Au moins neuf espèces introduites de mammifères vivent sur au moins 19 îles éloignées des Grenadines, un archipel qui abrite des colonies de reproduction d’oiseaux marins d’importance mondiale et régionale et qui représente l’un des derniers bastions pour les oiseaux marins dans les Petites Antilles. Cet article présente un inventaire contemporain des espèces de mammifères non indigènes des îles des Grenadines, avec un accent particulier sur les oiseaux marins nicheurs et les aires protégées, et explore les implications plus larges des barrières socioculturelles complexes vis-à-vis de la conservation. Mots clés éradication, espèces envahissantes, espèces introduites, Grenadines, oiseaux marins, restauration insulaire

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Section: Goats Sheep and Cowsmentioning

confidence: 93%

Section: Opossumsmentioning

confidence: 99%

Section: Cats and Dogsmentioning

confidence: 99%

mentioning

confidence: 99%

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Introduced mammals threaten the Grenadines transboundary tropical seabird hotspot

Coffey

Collier

2021

JCO

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A review of methods for detecting rats at low densities, with implications for surveillance

et al. 2023

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Invasive rats are the biggest threat to island biodiversity world-wide. Though the ecological impacts of rats on insular biota are well documented, introduced rats present a difficult problem for detection and management. In recent decades, improved approaches have allowed for island-wide eradications of invasive rats on small-medium sized islands and suppression on large islands, although both these still represent a formidable logistical and financial challenge. A key aspect of eradication or suppression and ongoing management is the ability to detect the presence of rats, especially at low densities. Here we review recent developments in the field of rat surveillance and summarise current published literature to recommend practices and the factors to consider when developing a surveillance program for either eradication or suppression plans. Of 51 empirical studies covering 17 countries, 58% were from New Zealand. Although detecting rats at low density is extremely challenging, advances over the past 15 years, have significantly improved our ability to detect rats. Motion-sensored cameras and rodent detection dogs have greatly improved our ability to detect rats at low densities, with cameras consistently showing an ability to detect rats at lower densities than other techniques. Rodent detection dogs are also able to reliably detect even an individual rat, although there are challenges to their widespread adoption, particularly in developing countries, due to the cost and skills required for their training and maintenance. New monitoring devices, the use of eDNA and drones represent current and future innovations to improve detection.

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Considering challenging insights from a taxonomic misidentification

Ronez

2021

Zootaxa

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Non‐native rats detected on uninhabited southern Grenadine islands with seabird colonies

Abstract: This is an open access article under the terms of the Creative Commons Attribution License, which permits use, distribution and reproduction in any medium, provided the original work is properly cited.

Cited by 4 publications

References 37 publications

Introduced mammals threaten the Grenadines transboundary tropical seabird hotspot

Introduced mammals threaten the Grenadines transboundary tropical seabird hotspot

A review of methods for detecting rats at low densities, with implications for surveillance

Considering challenging insights from a taxonomic misidentification

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