Subject: Exotic Species -- brown tree snakes: why?
Date: Aug 11 13:02:27 1999
From: Tom Foote - footet at elwha.evergreen.edu



On Wed, 11 Aug 1999, Deborah Wisti-Peterson wrote:

>
> tom's comment makes me wonder if the brown tree snake COULD pose a
> serious threat to bird life on a continent (in contrast to the small
> islands where it has completely destroyed all bird life)? and, more
> importantly, what factors/life history features must be in place for
> an individual alien species to be capable of posing serious threats
> to the existence of entire taxa?
>
Deborah et al--

hmm-mmmmmm...I recall seeing a squib somewhere about the
Caiman encroachment in Florida. Seems this import has
actually established a breeding population down there
which doesn't please the local game folks as it apparently
is not as sweetly dispositioned as our 'gator.. (?)

I also recall that a Brown Tree Snake dropped out of the
wheel well of an Air Force cargo plane somewhere in S.
Carolina and we killed on the tarmac.

So, it's possible that this menace could get started in
the warmer areas of the south.. even as I write this some
lunatic probably had some of them as pets and they'll
escape one day.. argh-hhhhhh... :(

perhaps, it's too cool for them up here in the NW..or
so we hope..

Tom