The Invader Updater
Highlights: Invasive species news for busy Extension professionals
Vanishing Volume 4, Issue 1 Spring 2012 Mammals
Seagoing Pythons Focal Species: Purple Swamphen
Scientific name: Python Detector Porphyrio porphyrio Dog Update Size: Large Constrictors Usually 18 in. long, 35 - 40 in. wingspan Lacey-Listed Native range: Plant Bestows Europe, Asia, Australia
Toxin Tolerance Notes: Appearance very similar to native
Purple Gallinule (Photo by J.M. Garg, courtesy of the Wikimedia Project)
In this Issue: Purple Swamphens are large, Purple Swamphens inhabit pete with native species for shy birds that belong to the marsh wetlands and have resources, and are habitat Focal Species: 1 rail family, and are similar in been found in the greatest generalists capable of invad- Purple Swamphen appearance to Florida’s na- numbers near Pembroke ing new areas. The Florida Science: ENP 2 tive Purple Gallinule and Pines, on Lake Okeechobee, Fish and Wildlife Conserva- Mammal Declines Common Moorhen. Like and in the stormwater treat- tion Commission (FWC) Science: Salt- 2 Purple Gallinule, introduced ment areas (STAs) just hopes to analyze stomach tolerant Pythons swamphens have blue/ north of the Everglades, but contents of captured birds in News: Detector 3 purple bodies, green wings they have also been found the future to study potential Dog Update and red beaks. However, in smaller numbers impacts. native gallinules have yel- Legislation: 3 in several other areas of Currently, management ef- low, rather than red, legs, Constrictor Ban Palm Beach, Broward, and forts are limited. Because this pale blue foreheads, and yel- Noteworthy: 3 Miami-Dade counties. species is native to U.S. Sa- low-tipped beaks. Common Toxin Tolerance moa and thus protected un- Moorhens are blue/black. Purple Swamphens are now der the Migratory Bird Treaty In Focus 4 established beyond hope of Purple Swamphens were Act, hunters cannot keep eradication, yet the impacts Resources 4 introduced to South Florida birds for personal use, and of this introduction are not through the exotic pet trade permit hunting programs yet known. Purple Swam- in the early 1990s, possibly have had low return. phens are aggressive, terri- due to accidental releases torial birds that could com- Learn More... during Hurricane Andrew.
The Invader Updater — http://ufwildlife.ifas.ufl.edu/InvaderUpdater.shtml Volume 4, Issue 1 – P g . 2
Science: Everglades Mammal Declines
(ENP), for more than thirty found severe declines in years, and recent evidence mammal sightings. Natu- suggests that they are exerting ralists also report that sight- significant pressure on native ings of rabbits are now very mammal populations. rare in the core of ENP where pythons are most By the year 2000, pythons firmly established. The au- were considered “established” thors found that mammal in ENP because they had been sightings were more com- present and breeding for the mon in areas where pythons past ten years. Roadkill sur- Figure from Dorcas are only newly established, For the past 15 million years, veys conducted by the park in et al. 2012 and claim that this is not Florida’s medium-sized mam- the late 1990s found not only coincidental. These results mals have not had to contend pythons, but also large num- suggest that python preda- with snake predators. Native bers of raccoons, opossums, tors may be having devas- snakes are too small to prey on and other mammals. How- tating impacts on native any mammal larger than a gray ever, a recent study by Dorcas mammals. squirrel. However, introduced et al. compared historical re- pythons have been proliferating cords to the results of roadkill Learn More... in Everglades National Park surveys during the 2000s and
Science: Python Salt Tolerance
systems or rivers. However, how long they survived. reptiles typically have a low Surprisingly, they found tolerance for salinity, thus that hatchling pythons brackish coastal marshes could survive for a month have been generally consid- in marine salinity, and five ered uninhabitable, and the months or more in brack- saline waters of Florida Bay ish water. Presumably, were believed to pose a bar- adult pythons would be rier to dispersal to the Flor- even more tolerant of sa- ida Keys. line conditions. These re- sults suggest that pythons Researchers at the U. S. Geo- in the Everglades may be Python spotted swimming logical Survey recently pub- Burmese pythons have in- capable of dispersing to in Florida Bay, Nov. 2011 lished a study which tested vaded the freshwater the Keys or through this hypothesis. They cap- marshes of Everglades Na- coastal mangrove habitats. tured hatchling pythons in tional Park, where they are Moreover, dispersal to the Everglades, maintained thriving. Pythons are be- Caribbean islands on them in cages with water lieved likely to spread to new floating vegetation might bowls filled with either regions to the north by mov- even be possible. fresh, brackish, or marine ing through Florida’s canal salinity water, and recorded Learn More...
The Invader Updater — http://ufwildlife.ifas.ufl.edu/InvaderUpdater.shtml Volume 4, Issue 1 – P g . 3
News Updates: Python-detection Dogs
gosa and Melissa Miller, a consider this to be a “silver “The ultimate doctoral student at Auburn bullet” for pythons. Rather, University, have continued they suggest that detection use for detection to work with EcoDogs to dogs can be used to suppress dogs is to explore the potential for de- population expansion, and suppress the tector dogs to assist with py- perhaps to eradicate popula- thon eradication. The dogs tions in small areas. The next expanding were successful at locating step in this research will in- python Click image to see YouTube video pythons, finding a total of 19 volve working with the Ever- population and individuals, including one glades Cooperative Invasive One year ago, we brought to eliminate them you a story about an innova- gravid (with eggs) female. Species Management Area in small areas, tive approach to locating Although the dogs were ex- to develop a strategy for us- invasive pythons in the Ever- tremely successful, Roma- ing detector dogs. such as on an gosa and colleagues do not (See Resources on pg. 4) glades. Dr. Christina Roma- island“
Legislation: Constrictor Ban ♦♦ In January 2010, the U.S. Fish these popular pet species pythons, and yellow anacon- and Wildlife Service an- among states, in the hopes of das as injurious species. Al- nounced a proposed rule that preventing additional pet re- though some would argue that would list Burmese pythons leases. After two years of con- this is too little too late, it is at ♦♦ and eight other large constric- sideration and public comments least a step in the right direc- tor snakes as injurious wild- from both sides of the issue, tion. In order to prevent re- life under the Lacey Act. This Secretary of the Interior Ken leases of the newly-restricted ♦♦ rule would not only prohibit Salazar announced passage of species, the Burmese Python importation of these species, the rule in modified form in Initiative website offers to find but would also prevent inter- January 2012. The USFWS rule homes for unwanted constric- state transport . In essence, lists Burmese pythons, North tors. Go to News Archives... ♦♦ this would reduce trade of African pythons, South African
Noteworthy: Toxin Tolerance
Invasive species research has invasive plant actually pre- the invasive toads’ toxins. In often shown that one intro- pared native lizards to toler- Australia, this is not the case, duced species facilitates the ate the deadly toxins of the and the toxins are often fatal. establishment of another in- invasive cane toad. In Florida, However, Price-Rees et al. troduced species. However, in where cane toads are also in- found that toads that ate this notable study, researchers vasive, native animals have mother-of-millions flowers in the Shine lab at the Univer- evolved with less toxic, native were exposed to similar tox- sity of Sydney in Australia toads and are therefore simi- ins and developed tolerance Figure from Price-Rees found that exposure to an larly preadapted to tolerate to toad toxin. Learn More... et al. 2012
The Invader Updater — http://ufwildlife.ifas.ufl.edu/InvaderUpdater.shtml Volume 4, Issue 1 – P g . 4
In Focus...
This photo of an invasive Cuban Treefrog (Osteopilus septentrionalis) is one of many such photos emailed to us by concerned citizens, and is a great example of this species. For smaller, less This newsletter is produced by: distinctive specimens, the large, warty bumps seen on the back of this animal are a key characteristic, Dept. of Wildlife Ecology and Conservation as is the yellow wash of color in the groin area.
Dr. Steve A. Johnson, Associate Professor & Extension Specialist and Monica E. McGarrity, Johnson Lab Outreach Coordinator
Do you have questions, comments, suggestions, or an In Focus photo? Want to be added to the mailing list? Email [email protected]
Photo © Buck Nottingham, 2012
The Invader Updater is a quarterly newsletter focused primarily on providing information on invasive vertebrate animals in Florida and the southeastern U.S., and was first published in Fall 2009.
Resources
Florida's Introduced Birds: Purple Swamphen Python import ban announced, but boa (Porphyrio porphyrio), by Steve A. Johnson and constrictors still allowed — WUSF NPR News Monica McGarrity, UF/IFAS EDIS Fact Sheet Python imports banned by U.S. after harming A Natural History of the Purple Swamphen Florida Everglades habitats — Bloomberg (Porphyrio porphyrio), by Elise V. Pearlstine and Interacting impacts of invasive plants and Juan Sebastian Ortiz, UF/IFAS EDIS Fact Sheet invasive toads on native lizards, by Price-Rees et Purple Swamphen - Porphyrio porphyrio, Florida's al., in The American Naturalist, 2012 Nonnative Wildlife. Species detail. How animals prepare for an alien invasion — A giant battle: Auburn canines help in search for Smithsonian Magazine Everglades' pythons—Auburn University
featured story Know of an important resource not listed here or Auburn researchers conduct python-tracking in our archives? Let us know—email a study using specially trained dogs (video, description and URL to [email protected]. photos) — Al.com
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