Brown tree snake
Brown tree snakes, which have
wreaked havoc among bird populations on the Pacific island of Guam, may
also be damaging the forests.
Scientists say that the slithery invaders' dietary habits are preventing the spread of tree seeds by birds.
Researchers say the growth of new trees on the island may have fallen by up to 92%.
These losses may have grave, long-term consequences for forests and other species.
These
dull brown creatures with their bright yellow underbellies are believed
to have arrived in the western Pacific island by cargo ship after World
War II.
Although only 50km long and 10km wide, Guam is now home to around two million of these nocturnal predators.
The
snakes have thrived on a diet of local bird species. By the 1980s they
had wiped out 10 of the 12 forest bird species native to Guam.
"It's
a really eerie feeling to spend a day by yourself in the jungle on
Guam," said study lead author Prof Haldre Rogers, from Iowa State
University.
"When you're on Saipan, there's this constant bird chatter, and you get visited by different birds. On Guam, it's silent."
As
well as the silent destruction of the bird population, researchers are
now concerned that the tree snake's rise will significantly impact the
island's forests.
Prof Rogers and colleagues found that about 70%
of the trees on Guam produce small fruit. Normally birds eat the fruit
and distribute the seeds in their droppings.
Source.........BBC
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