Recent Invaders in Small Mediterranean Islands: Wild Boars Impact Snakes in Port-Cros National Park.

Diversity 2021, 13, 498. https://doi.org/10.3390/d13100498.

Abstract:

Mediterranean islands host unique ecosystems that are particularly vulnerable to invasive species. However, knowledge regarding the precise impact of invasive species on local biodiversity remains limited for many of these systems. Here we report on the negative impacts of invasive wild boars (Sus scrofa) on native snakes on islands in the Mediterranean basin. Capture-mark-recapture was initiated in 2012 on two snake species (Montpellier snake, Malpolon monspessulanus and Ladder snake, Zamenis scalaris) across two islands of Port-Cros National Park. Several wild boars, an invasive species, reached the islands in 2007. They remained confined to small areas of the islands for several years. In Port-Cros, the numbers of wild boars suddenly increased in 2015, and rapidly colonized the whole island damaging vast land surfaces. In Porquerolles, wild boars did not proliferate. This offered an opportunity to examine the impact of wild boar outbreak with a Before-After Control-Impact design (BACI). Snake counts and mark-recapture modeling showed that demographic traits were stable before 2016 for both snake species on both islands. As well as abundance, recruitment, and population growth rate of Montpellier snakes significantly declined where wild boars proliferated but remained constant on the island where they did not. Wild boars probably impacted snake numbers through habitat destruction and direct killing. The rapid decline of snakes (apex predators) and intensive uprooting that strongly damage ground dwelling species (plants, animals) suggest that wild boars represent a serious threat to island biodiversity. As elsewhere around the world, these invasive ungulates proliferate in the Mediterranean basin, they are proficient swimmers and exhibit a remarkably high invasive potential. We recommend vigilance and fast eradication to prevent population outburst; even a few a localized non-proliferating individuals contain the latent potential for devastating outbreaks.

ballouard-biblio

Control of the ladder snake (Rhinechis scalaris) on Formentera using experimental live-traps.

In: C.R. Veitch, M.N. Clout, A.R. Martin, J.C. Russell and C.J. West (eds.) (2019). Island invasives: scaling
up to meet the challenge, pp. 332–336. Occasional Paper SSC no. 62. Gland, Switzerland: IUCN.

Abstract:

The ladder snake (Rhinechis scalaris ) is a recent alien invasive species found on Formentera (83 km2), in the Balearic Archipelago (4,492 km2). It has been introduced in the last decade as cargo stowaway hidden within ornamental olive trees from the Iberian Peninsula, causing negative impacts on native fauna. This paper describes the methodology used to reduce the ladder snake population as a first attempt since it was detected in 2006. For this purpose, an experimental live-trap was designed by the wildlife management team of the Consorci per a la Recuperació de la Fauna de les Illes Balears (COFIB) during the 2016 campaign. As a result, 314 R. scalaris were trapped in an area of 472 ha, achieving an efficiency of up to 0.167 captures per trap and night, and 0.040 captures per unit effort on average. This outcome encourages the use of the live-trap as a cost-effective method for reducing the snake population in Formentera. Nonetheless, this method should be considered a starting point toward R. scalaris control.

picol-biblio

On the origin of the asp viper Vipera aspis hugyi Schinz, 1833, on the island of Montecristo, Northern Tyrrhenian Sea (Tuscan archipelago, Italy).

Herpetological Bulletin [2011] 117: 1-9.

Abstract:

For some time there has been debate regarding whether the asp viper, Vipera aspis (Linnaeus, 1758), belonged to the original fauna of the small island of montecristo, Northern tyrrhenian sea (tuscan archipelago, italy). it has long been believed that the asp viper population of this island is made up of the subspecies Vipera aspis hugyi Schinz, 1833, also found in southern continental italy and sicily. a recent genetic study confirmed that this colonisation was exclusively mediated by humans, but also revealed that the extant vipers of montecristo displayed closest relationships with those found in the Palermo region of sicily, and southern italy. it might be assumed that the animals that were introduced onto montecristo originated from western sicily. in light of recent contributions the aim of this paper is to make an original contribution regarding the times and mode of such an importation that was performed possibly around the 5th century.

masseti-biblio

Beobachtungen an Mauereidechsen auf der Insel Elba.

www.lacerta.de

Inhalt:

Es wird über Beobachtungen an Mauereidechsen während eines einwöchigen Aufenthalts auf Elba berichtet. Vom Strand bis auf den Gipfel des Monte Capanne bewohnen die Mauereidechsen jeglichen Lebensraum. Nur in Dörfern und Städten sind sie auch in geeigneten Habitaten selten anzutreffen. Grund dafür dürften die allgegenwärtigen Katzen sein. Die Fluchtdistanz war für Mauereidechsen relativ hoch, selbst an Stellen, die von Menschen stark frequentiert werden, wie zum Beispiel Parks, Parkplätze und der Gipfel des Monte Capanne. Interessant war zu beobachten, dass in dichten Eichenwäldern, wo die Sonne nicht auf den Boden schien, die Tiere bis in etwa zwei Meter Höhe an Baumstämmen saßen um sich zu sonnen.

gebhart-biblio

Die Ruineneidechsen (Podarcis siculus tyrrhenicus) der Insel Giglio.

Elaphe 2-2011: 51-55. Mit 19 Farbforos und einer Landkarte.

Inhalt:

Der Artike l enthält Angaben zur Herpetofauna Giglios und berichtet über eine eintägige Exkursion mit Schwerpunkt auf der Beobachtung und Dokumentation der Ruineneidechsen.

gebhart-biblio

Herpetologische Eindrücke von der Mittelmeerinsel Île du Levant, Südfrankreich.

Elaphe 4/2010: 54-61

Inhalt:

Es wird über hepetologische Beobchtungen aus mehreren Jahren berichtet. Auf der Insel kommen eine Ampibienart (Discoglossus sardus) und sechs autochthone Reptilienarten (3 Echsen, r Schlangen) sowie eingeführte Trachemys scripta elegans und Testudo hermanni vor.

berg-biblio

Polyglott on tour - Kreta.

108 Seiten, zahlreiche Karten und Fotos. ISBN 3-493-56823-1. Polyglott Verlag GmbH, München. 1. Auflage (2014 ist eine Neuauflage erschienen)

Verlagstext:

Der benutzerfreundliche Polyglott mit innovativem Tourenkonzept bringt Sie zu den schönsten Reisezielen der griechischen Insel Kreta: Entdecken Sie mit Polyglott on tour die pastellfarbenen Häuser in Chania, das grandiose Wanderziel Samaria-Schlucht und die großartige Palastanlage von Knossos. Der Reiseführer enthält zusätzlich 16 Top-Touren, z.B. in den wilden Süden oder zur Lassithi Hochebene.

Die Reiseplanung gibt einen Überblick über die einzelnen Reiseregionen und stellt Ihnen die jeweils schönsten Touren vor - inklusive allem Sehens- und Erlebenswerten, Hotel-, und Strandtipps, zu Sport und Aktivitäten und Unterwegs mit Kindern. Im Teil Land und Leute erfahren Sie Bemerkenswertes von der Geschichte Kretas, zu Natur, den Menschen, Kunst und Kultur bis hin zu interessanten Festen und Veranstaltungen.

Wiederentdeckung einer ausgestorben geglaubten Population der Baleareneidechse, Podarcis lilfordi (GÜNTHER, 1874) auf der Illa de Ses Mones (Balearen, Menorca, Spanien) in Sympatrie mit der Ruineneidechse, Podarcis siculus (RAFINESQUE-SCHMALTZ, 1810).

Die Eidechse, 21 (3): 65-74.

Zusammenfassung:

Es wird über die Wiederentdeckung einer Population der Baleareneidechse (Podarcis lilfordi) auf der im Hafen von Port d`Addaia gelegenen Insel Illa de Ses Mones berichtet, von der man annahm, sie sei in den 1990er-Jahren durch die eingeschleppte Ruineneidechse (Podarcis siculus) verdrängt worden. Neben Informationen zur Illa des Ses Mones wird zum ersten Mal über ein sympatrisches Vorkommen von P. lilfordi und P. siculus berichtet und die hier lebenden Eidechsen erstmalig beschrieben und abgebildet. Weiterhin wird auf die in der Literatur häufige Verwechslung der Insel Illot d'en Carbó mit der Illa des Ses Mones hingewiesen und schließlich die taxonomische Stellung der wiederentdeckten Podarcis lilfordi von der Illa de Ses Mones diskutiert.

Note on the origin of the present mammalian fauna from the Balearic and Pityusics islands.

Misc. Zool., 6: 141-149. Barcelona.

Abstract:

Given the present state of palaeontological knowledge today's mammalogical fauna of the Balearic and Pitysic Islands can be considered as coming from a recent colonization resulting from the activity, voluntary or not, of man. In this paper the number of mammalian species are considered in terms of the theory of island biogeography. The human activity would have brought about a deterministic renewal of the island's mammalogical fauna, with a noticeable increase of the number of species and with the substitution of some stenocorous species, subjected to K selection during many years, by euricorous species, which are typical r strategists.

The Balearic herpetofauna: a species update and a review on the evidence.

Acta Herpetologica 6(1): 59-80, 2011

Abstract:

Here, we update the current list of amphibian and reptile fauna present in he Balearic Islands, probably the most outstanding case in the Mediterranean and of the most in the world where massive species introduction is in conflict with the survivorship,of highly restricted endemic taxa. Resulting of a long term evolution in insularity,endemic herpetofauna was already decimated during the Pleistocene but, after the human colonisation of the archipelago, the introduction of alien species, passive or deliberate, has been provoking new extinctions and range retractions in the native herpetofauna. Such process is not interrupted but has even intensified during the last years. The current species list is composed by five amphibians (one native) and 21 reptiles (2 native). A critical review of the evidence on extinctions and introductions is provided together with the conservation implications. Compared to the last review (Mayol, 1985) six new reptile species are now naturalised or are in process of naturalization, colubrid snakes constituting the most conflicting element due to their predator role.

pinya-biblio