Brown Treesnake detections on transects using potential attractants of live-mouse lures or fish-spray scent, Guam

Dates

Publication Date: 2021-12-16
Start Date: 2015-02-01
End Date: 2016-12-30

Citation

Amburgey, S.M., Lardner, B., Knox, A.J., Converse, S.J., and A.A. Yackel Adams, 2021, Brown Treesnake detections on transects using potential attractants of live-mouse lures or fish-spray scent, Guam: U.S. Geological Survey data release, https://doi.org/10.5066/P9G6JHZ3.

Summary

Nocturnal visual encounter surveys for Brown Treesnakes were collected and summarized into 4 plain text files (csv format): CapturesLure, SurveysLure, CapturesScent, and SurveysScent. Capture files contain unique Passive Integrated Transponder (PIT) tag identification and measurements of snakes with dates and locations of capture. Survey files contain the dates of transect sampling and treatment application for each transect (Transect ID). Each project used a different type of attractant, either a live-mouse lures in snake traps or liquid fish fertilizer scented spray. Surveys were conducted in a 5-ha geographically closed population on Guam. Teams of two observers conducted night-time surveys from February 1 to March 31 2015 (live-mouse [...]

Summary

Nocturnal visual encounter surveys for Brown Treesnakes were collected and summarized into 4 plain text files (csv format): CapturesLure, SurveysLure, CapturesScent, and SurveysScent. Capture files contain unique Passive Integrated Transponder (PIT) tag identification and measurements of snakes with dates and locations of capture. Survey files contain the dates of transect sampling and treatment application for each transect (Transect ID). Each project used a different type of attractant, either a live-mouse lures in snake traps or liquid fish fertilizer scented spray.

Surveys were conducted in a 5-ha geographically closed population on Guam. Teams of two observers conducted night-time surveys from February 1 to March 31 2015 (live-mouse lure project) and November 1 to December 30 2016 (spray scent project). Visual surveys occurred along maintained 220-meter long transects at 8 meter spacing. Observers used headlamps to search for snakes in the vegetation or on the ground. Observers recorded snake identification, measurements, capture location, and date. Surveys began 30 minutes after sunset.

For the lure study, transects either had no traps and live mouse lures (NTL) placed on them or had snake traps with live mouse lures (TL). Snake traps were modified minnow traps. Traps were suspended horizontally from natural vegetation 1-1.5 meter (m) off the ground. Within each trap, a chamber housed and protected a live-mouse attractant. Traps were deployed along the same transects where nocturnal visual surveys occurred.

For the spray scent study, transects were either unsprayed (1) or sprayed either in the early evening before the night-time survey (2) or the previous day (3). Spray scent consisted of 500 milliliters of Alaska Fish Fertilizer and 14.74 liters of water and was sprayed along the entire length of a transect using a spray backpack over the course of four minutes to ensure a consistent application rate. Any use of trade, firm, or product names is for descriptive purposes only and does not imply endorsement by the U.S. Government.

Contacts

Point of Contact :: Amy A Yackel Adams
Originator :: Staci Amburgey, Bjorn Lardner, Adam J Knox, Sarah J Converse, Amy A Yackel Adams
Metadata Contact :: FORT Metadata Specialist
Publisher :: U.S. Geological Survey
Distributor :: U.S. Geological Survey - ScienceBase
SDC Data Owner :: Fort Collins Science Center
USGS Mission Area :: Ecosystems

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BTS Lures Guam.xml Original FGDC Metadata	View	43.8 KB	application/fgdc+xml
CapturesLure.csv		7.78 KB	text/csv
CapturesScent.csv		7.08 KB	text/csv
SurveysLure.csv		9.48 KB	text/csv
SurveysScent.csv		2.08 KB	text/csv

Related External Resources

Type: Related Primary Publication

Amburgey SM, Yackel Adams AA, Gardner B, Lardner B, Knox AJ, Converse SJ (2021) Tools for increasing visual encounter probabilities for invasive species removal: a case study of brown treesnakes. NeoBiota 70: 107–122. https://doi.org/10.3897/neobiota.70.71379	https://doi.org/10.3897/neobiota.70.71379

Purpose

Detection probabilities of Brown Treesnakes are very low even under optimal field conditions, so tools are needed to enhance detection. We tested if we could boost detection probabilities with potential attractants to improve detection for this species.

Brown Treesnake detections on transects using potential attractants of live-mouse lures or fish-spray scent, Guam

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