Hostname: page-component-586b7cd67f-g8jcs Total loading time: 0 Render date: 2024-11-22T19:58:06.008Z Has data issue: false hasContentIssue false
  • English
  • Français

Five years of conserving the ‘world's rarest snake’, the Antiguan racer Alsophis antiguae

Published online by Cambridge University Press:  24 April 2009

Jenny C. Daltry ,
Quentin Bloxam ,
Gillian Cooper ,
Mark L. Day ,
John Hartley ,
McRonnie Henry ,
Kevel Lindsay  and
Brian E. Smith
Quentin Bloxam
Affiliation:
Durrell Wildlife Conservation Trust, Les Augrès Manor, Trinity, Jersey JE3 5BP, Channel Islands
Gillian Cooper
Affiliation:
Environmental Awareness Group, PO Box 2103, St John's, Antigua, West Indies
Mark L. Day
Affiliation:
Fauna & Flora International, Great Eastern House, Tenison Road, Cambridge CB1 2TT, UK. Tel: +44 1223 571000; e-mail: [email protected]
John Hartley
Affiliation:
Durrell Wildlife Conservation Trust, Les Augrès Manor, Trinity, Jersey JE3 5BP, Channel Islands
McRonnie Henry
Affiliation:
Forestry Division, Ministry of Agriculture, Forestry and Fisheries, Nevis Street, St John's, Antigua, West Indies
Kevel Lindsay
Affiliation:
Island Resources Foundation, National Museum of Antigua & Barbuda, Long Street, St John's, Antigua, West Indies
Brian E. Smith
Affiliation:
Black Hills State University, Department of Biology, 1200 University Street Unit 9044, Spearfish, SD 57799-9044, USA
Rights & Permissions [Opens in a new window]

Abstract

Core share and HTML view are not available for this content. However, as you have access to this content, a full PDF is available via the ‘Save PDF’ action button.

Abstract The Critically Endangered Antiguan racer Alsophis antiguae is confined to Great Bird Island, a 9.9 ha (24.5-acre) islet off the north-east coast of Antigua in the Lesser Antilles. This island represents well under 0.1 per cent of the species's historical distribution range. During the past 5 years, the total number of racers aged 1 year or more has fluctuated between 51 and 114, and currently stands at approximately 80. Since 1995, the Antiguan Racer Conservation Project (ARCP) has en-deavoured to save this harmless snake from extinction by using a combination of education, conservation breeding, habitat restoration, local capacity building and applied research. The Antiguan racer's ecology and population dynamics have become well understood after 5 years of intensive study, and the species has evidently benefited from the project's rat eradication programme. The snakes are still seriously threatened by other intrinsic and extrinsic factors, however, including inbreeding depression, frequent hurricanes, invasive predators and deliberate killing by tourists, as well as the problem that Great Bird Island is too small to support more than about 100 individuals. This paper describes the activities and impact of this project to date, and outlines a series of conservation activities to safeguard the long-term future of the species, which include reintroduction of the Antiguan racer to restored islands within its former distribution range.

Keywords

AlsophisAntiguaAntiguan racerconservationinvasive speciesreintroduction
Type
Research Article
Information
Oryx , Volume 35 , Issue 2 , April 2001 , pp. 119 - 127
Copyright
Copyright © Fauna and Flora International 2001

References

ARCP (Antiguan Racer Conservation Project) (1999) Re-introduction of the Antiguan racer, Alsophis antiguae (Serpentes: Colubridae), to offshore islands around Antigua, West Indies. Proposal to the IUCN/SSC Re-introduction Specialist Group. Fauna & Flora International, Cambridge.Google Scholar
Begon, M. (1979) Investigating Animal Abundance. Arnold, Edward, London.Google Scholar
Broad, G. (1996) Preliminary Study of Activity in Captive Antiguan Racers (Alsophis antiguae) at Jersey Wildlife Preservation Trust. Unpublished Report, JWPT Research Department, Jersey.Google Scholar
Caughley, G. (1994) Directions in conservation biology. Journal of Animal Ecology, 63, 215–244.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Censky, E.J. & Kaiser, H. (1999) The Lesser Antillean fauna. In Caribbean Amphibians and Reptiles (ed. Crowther, B.I.), pp. 181–221. Academic Press, San Diego.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Charlesworth, D. & Charlesworth, B. (1987) Inbreeding depression and its evolutionary consequences. Annual Review of Ecology and Systematics, 18, 237–268.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Cooper, G., Derrick, F., Derrick, K., McCauley, C., Lindsay, K. & Cooper, B. (1998) Post-Hurricane Georges Assessment. Report to the Antiguan Racer Conservation Project, Environmental Awareness Group, St Johns, Antigua.Google Scholar
Corke, D. (1987) Reptile conservation on the Maria Islands (St Lucia, West Indies). Biological Conservation, 40, 263–279.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Daltry, J.C. (1999) Status, Distribution and Natural History of the Antiguan Racer (Alsophis antiguae): Field Research and Conservation Technical Report. Antiguan Racer Conservation Project Report No. 4. Fauna & Flora International, Cambridge.Google Scholar
Daltry, J.C. & Day, M.L. (1997) Conservation biology of the Antiguan racer (Alsophis antiguae). In Abstracts of the Third World Congress of Herpetology 2–10 August 1997, Prague, p. 49. Third World Congress of Herpetology, Prague, Czech Republic.Google Scholar
Day, M.L. & Daltry, J.C. (1996a) Antiguan Racer Conservation Project. Fauna and Flora News, 04, 6.Google Scholar
Day, M.L. & Daltry, J.C. (1996b) Rat eradication to save the Antiguan racer. Aliens (Journal of the IUCN/SSC Invasive Species Specialist Group), 3, 14–15.Google Scholar
Dodd, C.K. Jr (1993) Strategies for snake conservation. In Snakes: Ecology and Behavior (eds Seigel, R. A. and Collins, J. T.), pp. 363–393. McGraw-Hill, New York.Google Scholar
Gibson, R. (1997) Conservation of the Antiguan racer Alsophis antiguae: the captive component. Proceedings of the 1997 International Herpetological Society Symposium, International Herpetological Society.Google Scholar
Henderson, R.W. (1989) A new subspecies of Alsophis antiguae (Serpentes: Colubridae) from Great Bird Island (Antigua), Lesser Antilles. Caribbean journal of Science, 25, 119–122.Google Scholar
Henderson, R.W. (1992) Consequences of predator introductions and habitat destruction on amphibians and reptiles in the Post-Columbus West Indies. Caribbean journal of Science, 28, 1–10.Google Scholar
Henderson, R.W. & Powell, R. (1999) West Indian herpetoecology. In Caribbean Amphibians-and Reptiles (ed. Crother, B. I.), pp. 223–268. Academic Press, San Diego.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Henderson, R.W. & Sajdak, R.A. (1986) West Indian racers: a disappearing act or a second chance? Lore, 36, 13–18.Google Scholar
Henderson, R.W., Powell, R., Daltry, J.C. & Day, M.L. (1996) Alsophis antiguae Parker. Catalogue of American Amphibians and Reptiles, 632, 11–13.Google Scholar
Horwith, B. & Lindsay, K. (1997) A Biodiversity Profile: Antigua, Barbuda, Redonda. Eastern Caribbean Biodiversity Programme Biodiversity Publication 3, Island Resources Foundation.Google Scholar
IUCN (1996) 1996 IUCN Red List of Threatened Animals. IUCN, Gland and Cambridge.Google Scholar
IUCN (1998) IUCN Guidelines for Reintroductions. Prepared by the IUCN/SSC Re-introduction Specialist Group. IUCN, Gland and Cambridge.Google Scholar
Lande, R. (1980) Genetic variation and phenotypic evolution during allopatric speciation. American Zoologist, 116, 463–179.Google Scholar
Lazell, J. D. Jr (1967) Wiederentdeckung von zwei angeblich ausgestorbenen Schlangenarten der westindischen Inseln. Salamandra, 3, 91–97.Google Scholar
Liddle, M. (1997) Recreation Ecology. Chapman & Hall. London.Google Scholar
Lindsay, K. & Horwith, B. (1997) A Vegetation Classification: Antigua, Barbuda, Redonda. Eastern Caribbean Biodiversity Programme Biodiversity Publication 2, Island Resources Foundation.Google Scholar
Madsen, T.Stille, B. & Shine, R. (1996) Inbreeding depression in an isolated population of adders Vipera berus. Biological Conservation, 75, 113–118.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
McCauley, C. (1999a) Environmental Education Status Report. Antiguan Racer Conservation Project, Report No. 6. Environmental Awareness Group, St Johns, Antigua.Google Scholar
McCauley, C. (1999b) Report on Offshore Island Workshop for Tour Operators. Environmental Awareness Group, St Johns, Antigua.Google Scholar
Morgan, J.M. & Gramann, J.H. (1989) Predicting effectiveness of wildlife education programs: a study of students' attitudes and knowledge towards snakes. Wildlife Society Bulletin, 17, 501–509.Google Scholar
Parker, H.W. (1936) Some extinct snakes of the West Indies. Annals and Magazine of Natural Histology, 18, 227–233.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Powell, R., Ottenwalder, J.A., Incháustegui, S.J., Henderson, R.W. & Glor, R.E. (2000) Amphibians and reptiles of the Dominican Republic: species of special concern. Oryx, 34, 118–128.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Pregill, G.K., Steadman, D.W. & Waters, D.R. (1994) Late Quaternary vertebrate faunas of the Lesser Antilles: historical components of Caribbean biogeography. Bulletin of Carnegie Museum of Natural History, 30, iv + 51 pp.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Ross, T.N. (2000) Antiguan Racer Population Census 2000. Antiguan Racer Conservation Project, Report No. 7. Fauna & Flora International, Cambridge.Google Scholar
Sajdak, R.A. & Henderson, R.W. (1991) Status of West Indian racers in the Lesser Antilles. Oryx, 25, 33–38.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Schwaner, T.D. (1990) Geographic variation in scale and skeletal anomalies of tiger snakes (Elapidae: Notechis scutatusater complex) in southern Australia. Copeia, 1990, 1169–1173.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Schwartz, A. & Henderson, R.W. (1991) Amphibians and Reptiles of the West Indies: Descriptions, Distributions, and Natural History. University of Florida Press, Gainesville.Google Scholar
Shadbolt, A. (2000) An Analysis of Recreational Users on Great Bird Island. Environmental Awareness Group, St John's, Antigua.Google Scholar
Shine, R. (1993) Sexual dimorphism in snakes. In Snakes: Ecology and Behavior (eds Seigel, R. A. and Collins, J. T.), pp. 49–86. McGraw-Hill, New York.Google Scholar
Smith, B.E. & Baum, R. (2000) Surveys of the Lizards Anolis wattsi and Ameiva griswoldi on Antiguan Offshore Islands I: Summer 1999. Antiguan Racer Conservation Project, Report No. 5. Black Hills State University, Spearfish, South Dakota.Google Scholar
Soulé, M.E. (1996) Viable Populations for Conservation. Cambridge University Press, Cambridge.Google Scholar
Southwood, T.R.E. (1966) Ecological Methods. Methuen and Co., London.Google Scholar
Underwood, G., Horrocks, J.A. & Daltry, J.C. (1999) A new snake from Barbados. Journal of the Barbados Museum and Historical Society, 45, 67–75.Google Scholar
Varnham, K., Ross, T., Daltry, J., Day, M., Cooper, G. & Lindsay, K. (1998) Recovery of the Antiguan racer. Aliens (Journal of the IUCN/SSC Invasive Species Specialist Group), 8, 21.Google Scholar