This article is from the source 'guardian' and was first published or seen on . It last changed over 40 days ago and won't be checked again for changes.

You can find the current article at its original source at http://www.theguardian.com/science/animal-magic/2014/feb/25/introduced-snake-galapagos

The article has changed 5 times. There is an RSS feed of changes available.

Version 2 Version 3
Introduced snake found in Galapagos highlands Introduced snake found in Galapagos highlands
(6 months later)
Galapagos Galapagos residents were surprised on Sunday, when their car ran over an introduced snake on the road that runs across the central island of Santa Cruz.
residents were surprised on Sunday, when their car ran over an introduced snake Thankfully, they had the presence of mind to collect the red-and-black striped reptile and hand it in to staff at the Galapagos National Park (GNP). Herpetologists at the Charles Darwin Foundation identified it as a false coral snake. There are four terrestrial snakes known to occur in Galapagos. This is not one of them.
on the road that runs across the central island of Santa Cruz. The snake was found near the highland town of Santa Rosa, about half way along the Santa Cruz highway that connects the airport (on the nearby island of Baltra) to the main town of Puerto Ayora. The GNP and the agency for biosecurity in Galapagos (ABG) are scouring the area, according to a press release issued by Ecuador’s Ministry of the Environment. This appears to be the first recorded case of a snake being introduced to the islands.
Thankfully, they “Monitoring includes forming a circle of a mile around the area in which it is found to determine the possible presence of more specimens in the field and prevent movement into protected areas,” says Danny Rueda, director of ecosystem management at the Galapagos National Park. The ABG, meanwhile, has carried out a necropsy on the offending specimen. It was a male and its stomach was empty.
had the presence of mind to collect the red-and-black striped reptile and hand When I tweeted the news this morning, Stephen J. Henstridge tweeted back with a possible identification of the species.
it in to staff at the Galapagos National Park (GNP). Herpetologists at the
Charles Darwin Foundation identified it as a false coral snake. There are four terrestrial snakes
known to occur in Galapagos. This is not one of them.
The snake was
found near the highland town of Santa Rosa, about half way along the Santa Cruz
highway that connects the airport (on the nearby island of Baltra) to the main
town of Puerto Ayora. The GNP and the agency for biosecurity in Galapagos (ABG)
are scouring the area, according to a press
release issued by Ecuador’s Ministry of the Environment. This appears to be
the first recorded case of a snake being introduced to the islands.
“Monitoring
includes forming a circle of a mile around the area in which it is found to
determine the possible presence of more specimens in the field and prevent
movement into protected areas,” says Danny Rueda, director of ecosystem
management at the Galapagos National Park. The ABG, meanwhile, has carried out
a necropsy on the offending specimen. It was a male and its stomach was empty.
When I tweeted the
news this morning, Stephen J.
Henstridge tweeted back with a possible identification of the species.
@WayOfThePanda Hmm, my Spanish is not so good, but the photo appears to be of a (non-venomous) Scarlet King Snake. Still not good news@WayOfThePanda Hmm, my Spanish is not so good, but the photo appears to be of a (non-venomous) Scarlet King Snake. Still not good news
It’s certainly a candidate. But I double-checked with Colin McCarthy, former collections manager of reptiles, amphibians and fish at the Natural History Museum, and he wasn’t so sure.It’s certainly a candidate. But I double-checked with Colin McCarthy, former collections manager of reptiles, amphibians and fish at the Natural History Museum, and he wasn’t so sure.
@WayOfThePanda @HenstridgeSJ @edyong209 Can't be certain - likely to be one of the Erythrolamprus species. Think photo possibly misleading@WayOfThePanda @HenstridgeSJ @edyong209 Can't be certain - likely to be one of the Erythrolamprus species. Think photo possibly misleading
The identification, when it comes, will help to pin down how it might have come to Galapagos. The scarlet kingsnake, for instance, is native to the eastern United States and is a common pet. It is rather depressing that someone thought it was OK to bring a snake into Galapagos, for that’s probably what happened. The upside is that the people who hit the reptile appear to have realised The identification, when it comes, will help to pin down how it might have come to Galapagos. The scarlet kingsnake, for instance, is native to the eastern United States and is a common pet. It is rather depressing that someone thought it was OK to bring a snake into Galapagos, for that’s probably what happened. The upside is that the people who hit the reptile appear to have realised it was unusual and taken it to the authorities. If Galapagos wants to retain its relatively pristine status (it is still the best-preserved tropical archipelago in the world), it is crucial that its residents are involved like this.
it was unusual and taken it to the authorities. If Galapagos wants to retain UPDATE 26 February 2014 09:48 GMT
its relatively pristine status (it is still the best-preserved tropical After a lot of interest in this snake, it appears we have an identification. Diego Cisneros-Heredia, a reptile specialist at the Universidad San Francisco de Quito in Ecuador who has been working with those in Galapagos on an ID, says it is an Ecuadorian milk snake (Lampropeltis triangulum micropholis) native to mainland Ecuador. A comment below (@Scott Solar) says the same, as does Jeff Barringer, founder of kingsnake.com, who contacted me by email. “It has prompted quite a discussion among kingsnake experts,” he says.
archipelago in the world), it is crucial that its residents are involved like Both @Scott Solar and Barringer raise an interesting question. What if this snake is not introduced at all? Let’s think about this.
this. One possibility is that it belongs to a previously unknown native population that has been around in Galapagos for ages. But we are talking about Santa Cruz here, an island with a significant human population (of around 15,000) and one that has been intensively studied over the years. I find it unlikely in the extreme that all those park rangers and scientists would have missed a species with such conspicuous markings. If the genetic analysis of this specimen shows no sign of divergence from the mainland population then we can rule out this possibility.
UPDATE 26 There is an alternative. Even if the genetic evidence shows that the snake is virtually identical to the milk snake on the mainland, it could still be a example of a recent, natural colonisation of the islands. Snakes, after all, have reached Galapagos under their own steam at least once before (giving rise to the four established species that scientists recognise). If this were the case, it would need protection not eradication. Unfortunately there is no way to distinguish between a recent colonisation event and a human-mediated introduction (unless of course someone comes forward to admit culpability). Tricky.
February 2014 09:48 GMT @Scott Solar makes a good point that we are often too quick to jump on the “invasive species” bandwagon without considering the alternatives. But I’m afraid that the probability of introduction in a place like Galapagos will always far outweigh the improbability of natural colonisation. If it comes to a judgement call, the
After a lot of
interest in this snake, it appears we have an identification. Diego Cisneros-Heredia, a reptile specialist at the king
Universidad San Francisco de Quito in Ecuador who has been working with those milksnake will lose.
in Galapagos on an ID, says it is an Ecuadorian milk snake (Lampropeltis
triangulum micropholis) native to mainland Ecuador. A comment below (@Scott Solar) says the same, as does Jeff
Barringer, founder of kingsnake.com, who contacted me by email. “It has prompted quite a discussion among kingsnake experts,” he says.
Both @Scott
Solar and Barringer raise an interesting question. What if this snake is not
introduced at all? Let’s think about this.
One possibility is that it belongs to a previously unknown
native population that has been around in Galapagos for ages. But we are
talking about Santa Cruz here, an island with a significant human population
(of around 15,000) and one that has been intensively studied over the years. I
find it unlikely in the extreme that all those park rangers and scientists would
have missed a species with such conspicuous markings. If the genetic analysis
of this specimen shows no sign of divergence from the mainland population then
we can rule out this possibility.
There is an alternative. Even if the genetic evidence shows that the snake is virtually identical to the milk snake on the mainland, it could still be a example of a recent, natural colonisation of the islands. Snakes, after all, have reached Galapagos under their own steam at least
once before (giving rise to the four established species that scientists
recognise). If this were the case, it would need protection not eradication. Unfortunately there is no way to distinguish
between a recent colonisation event and a human-mediated introduction (unless
of course someone comes forward to admit culpability). Tricky.
@Scott Solar
makes a good point that we are often too quick to jump on the “invasive species” bandwagon without considering the alternatives. But I’m afraid that the probability of introduction in a place like Galapagos will always far outweigh the improbability of natural colonisation. If it comes to a judgement call, the kingmilksnake will lose.