Invasive Species, Brown Tree Snake

1960sGuam and the Pacific Islands

“Native island species are predisposed and vulnerable to local extinction by invaders. When the brown tree snake (Boiga irregularis) was accidentally introduced to Guam it caused the local extinction of most of the island's native bird and lizard species. It also caused 'cascading' ecological effects by removing native pollinators, causing the subsequent decline of native plant species. The ecosystem fragility of other Pacific islands to which cargo flows from Guam has made the potential spread of the brown tree snake from Guam a major concern.”

Global Invasive Species Database, issg.org http://www.issg.org/database/species/ecology.asp?si=54