ZOBODAT - www.zobodat.at Zoologisch-Botanische Datenbank/Zoological-Botanical Database Digitale Literatur/Digital Literature Zeitschrift/Journal: Herpetozoa Jahr/Year: 2017 Band/Volume: 30_1_2 Autor(en)/Author(s): Zamora-Camacho Francisco Javier Artikel/Article: On the role of plant nurseries introducing Indotyphlops braminus (DAUDIN, 1803), in Spain 69-72 All_Short_Notes_(Seiten 59-112):SHORT_NOTE.qxd 07.08.2017 18:41 Seite 11 SHORT NOTE HERPETOZOA 30 (1/2) Wien, 30. Juli 2017 SHORT NOTE 69 On the role of plant nurseries in June 2015, publicly available pro - introducing Indotyphlops braminus fessional e-mail addresses from 403 nursery managers from most provinces of Spain (DAuDiN , 1803), in Spain were compiled; no e-mail address was found from the nursery managers of the A key step in the management of Autonomous cities of ceuta and melilla, human-induced introduction of organisms is and the Province of Zamora. To facilitate release interception or, at least, control identification by non-experts, a description (PERRiNgS et al. 2005), as introductions are of the species was sent to the managers, easier to manage when the potential sources with emphasis on easily distinguishable of propagules are identified ( HulmE 2006). diagnostic characters, as well as two photo - in the case of the typhlopid Flowerpot graphs and one video, along with a ques - Blind snake Indotyphlops braminus (DAu- tionnaire including four questions: (1) Was DiN , 1803), nurseries are widely considered the Flowerpot Blindsnake seen in your nurs - the main (if not the only) propagule reser - ery? (2) if yes, how many individuals? (3) voir and potential vector for introductions When were they seen and (4) were they seen (e. g., KRAuS 2003; YOKOYAmA 2012; JESuS in flowerpots or freely living in the soil? et al. 2013). This small parthenogenetic The nursery managers were asked to for - snake species, of mostly less than 175 mm ward the questionnaire to their employees of snout-vent length and 5 mm of maximum and include their observations in the email body diameter, is strictly subterranean responses. The questionnaire was not tested where it inhabits self-burrowed galleries prior to the study, but questions were closed, (mATEO 2013). These snakes inadvertently clear and straightforward. The nursery migrate, hiding between the roots of plants managers were informed that their respons - transported with agricultural or ornamental es were to be used in a scientific publication. purposes. Since these professionals devote much time After a long-term process of passive to transplanting plants, turning over the soil, introductions, this snake inhabits relatively or rearranging flowerpots, which represent moist and temperate habitats worldwide intromissions in I. braminus habitats, de - (OTA et al. 1991; WAllAcH 2008), being one tection probabilities were high. However, of the most widespread reptiles on Earth whether or not negative responses corre - (uETZ et al. 2012). it is allegedly native to sponded with actual absences must remain some areas of the indo-malayan region, but unclear, given that disclosure of positive its extensive distribution ( uETZ et al. 2012) information may have been found to be makes it difficult to reliably determine risky. geographical location of each nursery where it is native and where introduced, surveyed and the answers to questions 1-4 particularly in early colonized areas ( mATEO were recorded in a spreadsheet used to cal - 2013). in Spain, it was first detected in culate percentages of the different types of Fuerteventura (canary islands) in 1998 answers. (lóPEZ -JuRADO et al. 2006). By 2010, its Answers were returned from 95 out of presence had also been described in la go - 403 (23.57 %) nursery managers polled mera, Tenerife, gran canaria, and lanza - (Table 1). Among those, only three nursery rote, in the same archipelago ( uRiOSTE & managers (3.16 %) declared to have seen mATEO 2010), and in mallorca (Balearic this snake in their nurseries (Table 1; Fig. islands) ( mATEO 2013). One more popula - 1): one in western granada province (south - tion was found in the Province of Almería eastern Spain), where two specimens were (Southeastern iberian Peninsula) in 2011 seen living freely on the soil in 2013, anoth - (mATEO 2013; RATO et al. 2015). in the er in central granada province, where sever - present paper, the author assesses the fre - al individuals were seen, last observation quency of observations of I. braminus indi - occurring in 2012, and another in girona viduals in plant nurseries in Spain, by sur - province (northeastern Spain), where three veying nursery managers statewide for I. individuals were seen since 2012, the last braminus detection, in order to infer one in may, 2015. Thus, only three nurs - propagule pressure. eries (3.16 %) evidenced a possible current All_Short_Notes_(Seiten 59-112):SHORT_NOTE.qxd 07.08.2017 18:41 Seite 12 70 SHORT NOTE HERPETOZOA 30 (1/2) Wien, 30. Juli 2017 SHORT NOTE Table 1: Number of plant nurseries polled for This survey does not permit to draw observations of Indotyphlops braminus (DAuDiN , 1803), negative, and positive answers received by province or final conclusions on the role of plant nurs - autonomous citiy in Spain. A - Plant nurseries polled, eries as reservoirs and potential vectors of I. B - Negative answers, c - Positive answers. braminus introductions in Spain. However, at least it shows a reduced number of plant Province or autonomous city ABc nurseries detecting this snake throughout Araba/Álava 630 Spain. moreover, recent detection has been A coruña 710 reported only in one out of 95 nurseries, Alacant/Alicante 12 2 0 which indicates that some introductions fail, Albacete 400 although they could have spread individuals Almería 710 Asturias 11 3 0 before failure. As nurseries were positively Ávila 410 identified as vectors for I. braminus intro - Badajoz 620 ductions ( KRAuS 2003; KORNiliOS et al. Barcelona 12 4 0 Bizkaia 10 3 0 2013), propagule pressure seems moderate Burgos 310 for this species in Spanish territories. cáceres 620 Strange enough, the author received no cádiz 800 notice of detection in nurseries from the cantabria 800 castelló/castellón 610 aforementioned areas where the species has ceuta 000 established. ciudad Real 520 Dispersal capacity of this snake is córdoba 12 2 0 very limited, probably because of its cuenca 100 gipuzkoa 840 reduced mobility and underground customs, girona 14 1 1 which require loose soils for gallery bur - granada 11 2 2 rowing ( mATEO 2013). moreover, this tropi - guadalajara 310 cal and subtropical species thrives in warm, Huelva 310 Huesca 630 relatively wet habitats ( OTA et al. 1991). in illes Balears 17 3 0 Spain, habitats with year-round sufficient Jaén 610 humidity and stable warm temperature la Rioja 11 3 0 las Palmas 13 3 0 appear very locally, or in artificial ecosys - león 920 tems such as gardens or agrosystems. in lleida 610 fact, most Spanish populations of I. brami - lugo 720 nus are found in such altered habitats madrid 22 4 0 málaga 17 3 0 (uRiOSTE & mATEO 2011), and not far from melilla 000 the sea, which increases humidity and tem - murcia 12 2 0 perature stability ( mATEO 2013). in fact, the Nafarroa/Navarra 10 4 0 nursery holding a potentially stable popula - Ourense 310 Palencia 100 tion described here is also by the coast. Pontevedra 10 1 0 These factors altogether, along with low Salamanca 830 propagule pressure found in this survey, Santa cruz de Tenerife 810 suggest a moderate invasive capacity of I. Segovia 610 Sevilla 11 3 0 braminus in Spain. Soria 100 Nevertheless, this is a triploid, all- Tarragona 810 female reptile that reproduces partenogenet - Teruel 200 uSSBAum Toledo 410 ically ( N 1980), producing up to 8 València/Valencia 16 5 0 eggs or young a year, which gives each indi - Valladolid 930 vidual the potential to found a population in Zamora 000 few years ( OTA et al. 1991; KAmOSAWA & Zaragoza 13 4 0 OTA 1996). moreover, these snakes prey on Total 403 92 3 extremely abundant termites and ants (FiElDS & HORROcKS 2011; miZuNO & KOJimA 2015). Prey abundance may facili - population of I. braminus , with potential tate establishment and expansion of intro - delivery of individuals to new habitats duced populations ( WHiTE et al. 2006). through plant trade. Furthermore, competition with native pred - All_Short_Notes_(Seiten 59-112):SHORT_NOTE.qxd 07.08.2017 18:41 Seite 13 SHORT NOTE HERPETOZOA 30 (1/2) Wien, 30. Juli 2017 SHORT NOTE 71 Fig. 1: map showing the geographic location of participating nurseries. Black dots represent nurseries where Indotyphlops braminus (DAuDiN , 1803) was not reported. White circles represent nurseries where I. braminus was detected. canary islands appear misplaced in the inset. map was created with software QgiS (v 2.18.7). ators of the same prey could be mild where conservation of caribbean island herpetofaunas. Vol. prey is abundant ( miRANDE et al. 2015). 2: Regional accounts of the West indies. Boston (Brill). HulmE , P. E. (2006): Beyond control: wider implica - Negative effects of competition for prey on tions for the management of biological invasions.- native fauna are thus expected to be low, but Journal of Applied Ecology, london; 43: 835-847. this situation could also benefit the intro - JESuS , J. & g ONçAlVES , R. & S PíNOlA , c. & B REHm , A. duced species. Particularly, in the iberian (2013): First record of Ramphotyphlops braminus (DAuDiN , 1803) on madeira island (Portugal).- Herpe - Peninsula and North Africa Spanish territo - tozoa, Wien; 26: 106-109. KAmOSAWA , m. & O TA , H. ries, I. braminus could compete with native (1996): Reproductive biology of the Brahminy blind Bla nidae and Trogonophidae worm lizards, snake ( Ramphotyphlops braminus ) from the Ryukyu which are similar in size, ecological require - Archipelago, Japan.- Journal of Herpetology, Athens; 30: 9-14. KORNiliOS , P. & g iOKAS , S. & l YmBERAKiS , ments, and diet ( mARTíN et al. 2013; SAl- P. & S iNDAcO , R .