Hi All, Some promising news about an endangered species…for a change! Please let me know your thoughts – is the program worthwhile? Mauritius, an island nation off the coast of southeast Africa, is best known to naturalists as the site of the Dodo Bird’s extinction (Mauritius also is, in a sense, the reason I was hired by the Bronx Zoo and spared life as a lawyer – see article below for the story!). Herp enthusiasts, however, know it as the habitat of several unique reptiles, all of which are now very rare or extinct. But we can delight in some news just released by the Durrell Wildlife Trust - a new population of the Round Island or Keel-scaled Boas, Casarea dussumieri, will soon be established in the wild. This unusual snake disappeared from nearly all of its range in the 1860’s, and its return is the culmination of 40 years’ worth of captive breeding and habitat restoration efforts. Read article here Round Island Boa Back in Wild after 150 Years That Reptile Blog and let me know what you think…is it worthwhile, will it work? Comments and questions appreciated. As I do not place notices here each time I post a new article on That Reptile Blog, you may wish to check in periodically or subscribe; you can do so here That Reptile Blog. Please also check out my posts on Twitter http://bitly.com/JP27Nj. Thanks, Frank My Bio, with photos of animals I’ve been lucky enough to work with That Pet Place welcomes Zoologist/Herpetologist Frank Indiviglio to That Reptile Blog | That Reptile Blog That Reptile Blog Face Book http://on.fb.me/KckP1m
Definitely worthwhile. Round island is not all that big and to have the entire wild population confined to the one island, they would still be vulnerable to stochastic events. This expands the available territory to increase the population (of two species) and act as an insurance population. When they cleared Round Island of introduced pests the forest rebounded better than anyone expected. Clearing the pests of this second island could do the same, and might also provide extra habitat for other species like some of the endangered birds (depending on the location of the island). As a Durrellphile I can only see this as a good thing, and something He would have been happy with. Hix
Yes, I agree - "Durrellphile" - very good, one of a kind, has been a great influence on my career, and the field in general, Best, Frank
