Using citizen-science reports to document range expansion of the introduced Chinese Water Dragon (Physignathus cocincinus) in Hong Kong

Abstract


 
 
 
 The first incursion of Chinese Water Gragons (Physignathus cocincinus) in Hong Kong occurred in October 2004 on Tsing Yi Island. This study identified a further 54 citizen-science reports of dragons in different locations of Hong Kong. Although there were no subsequent reports from Tsing Yi Island, there were recurring reports in five other locations. In Aberdeen, reports started in 2010, concentrating on the grounds of Ocean Park. There were also numerous reports from the Kam Shan Country Park since 2010, the Pok Fu Lam Reservoir since 2011, the Lion Rock Country Park since 2012, and the Sha Tin District since 2014. Dragons were mostly observed in natural areas, but also in urban areas. The highest number of sightings were reported in April. Combinations of males and females were identified in four of the locations with numerous reports, suggesting that these populations are self-sustaining.
 
 
 

Using the iNaturalist application to identify reports of Green Iguanas (Iguana iguana) on the mainland United States of America outside of populations in Florida

“…This study further demonstrates that citizen-science observations of non-native animals can assist in the early detection of potentially invasive species (e.g., Mo 2019). Many examples of past invasions of Green Iguanas have been characterized by local residents regularly encounter-ing individuals for extensive periods of time before that knowledge reached scientists and government officials (e.g., Johnson 2020).…”

Emerging community reports of the highly invasive American Bullfrog (Lithobates catesbeianus) in Hong Kong

“…Information from online biodiversity databases has provided a means for early detection of a number of potentially and confirmed invasive species, particularly in recent times (Mo 2019b;Pawson et al 2020;Werenkraut et al 2020;Mesaglio and Callaghan 2021;Mo and Mo 2022). Community reports of American Bullfrog observations in Hong Kong further demonstrate the value of community science as a pathway for documentation of exotic animal incursions.…”

An amelanistic Red Cornsnake (Pantherophis guttatus) as a possible identity for an unusual road-killed snake discovered in Sydney, Australia

“…On T he exotic pet trade has been identified as the primary introduction pathway for several populations of invasive vertebrates (García-Díaz et al 2017;Lockwood et al 2019), including a number of commonly traded exotic reptiles (Mo 2019a;Perella and Behm 2020). Australia is an island continent with jurisdictions prohibiting the importation and private keeping of non-native reptiles.…”