Slow life history leaves endangered snake vulnerable to illegal collecting.

Jolly, CJ; Von Takach, B; Webb, JK

Slow life history leaves endangered snake vulnerable to illegal collecting.

Jolly, CJ Von Takach, B Webb, JK

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Publisher:: Springer Science and Business Media LLC
Publication Type:: Journal Article
Citation:: Sci Rep, 2021, 11, (1), pp. 5380
Issue Date:: 2021-03-08

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Field	Value	Language
dc.contributor.author	Jolly, CJ
dc.contributor.author	Von Takach, B
dc.contributor.author	Webb, JK
dc.date.accessioned	2021-04-01T02:13:54Z
dc.date.available	2021-02-18
dc.date.available	2021-04-01T02:13:54Z
dc.date.issued	2021-03-08
dc.identifier.citation	Sci Rep, 2021, 11, (1), pp. 5380
dc.identifier.issn	2045-2322
dc.identifier.issn	2045-2322
dc.identifier.uri	http://hdl.handle.net/10453/147774
dc.description.abstract	Global wildlife trade is a multibillion-dollar industry and a significant driver of vertebrate extinction risk. Yet, few studies have quantified the impact of wild harvesting for the illicit pet trade on populations. Long-lived species, by virtue of their slow life history characteristics, may be unable to sustain even low levels of collecting. Here, we assessed the impact of illegal collecting on populations of endangered broad-headed snakes (Hoplocephalus bungaroides) at gated (protected) and ungated (unprotected) sites. Because broad-headed snakes are long-lived, grow slowly and reproduce infrequently, populations are likely vulnerable to increases in adult mortality. Long-term data revealed that annual survival rates of snakes were significantly lower in the ungated population than the gated population, consistent with the hypothesis of human removal of snakes for the pet trade. Population viability analysis showed that the ungated population has a strongly negative population growth rate and is only prevented from ultimate extinction by dispersal of small numbers of individuals from the gated population. Sensitivity analyses showed that the removal of a small number of adult females was sufficient to impose negative population growth and suggests that threatened species with slow life histories are likely to be especially vulnerable to illegal collecting.
dc.language	eng
dc.publisher	Springer Science and Business Media LLC
dc.relation	NSW Office of Environment and Heritage
dc.relation.ispartof	Sci Rep
dc.relation.isbasedon	10.1038/s41598-021-84745-1
dc.rights	info:eu-repo/semantics/openAccess
dc.rights	This is a post-peer-review, pre-copyedit version of an article published in Sci Rep. The final authenticated version is available online at: https://dx.doi.org/10.1038/s41598-021-84745-1.	en_US
dc.title	Slow life history leaves endangered snake vulnerable to illegal collecting.
dc.type	Journal Article
utslib.citation.volume	11
utslib.location.activity	England
pubs.organisational-group	/University of Technology Sydney
pubs.organisational-group	/University of Technology Sydney/Faculty of Science
pubs.organisational-group	/University of Technology Sydney/Faculty of Science/School of Life Sciences
utslib.copyright.status	open_access	*
dc.date.updated	2021-04-01T02:13:53Z
pubs.issue	1
pubs.publication-status	Published online
pubs.volume	11
utslib.citation.issue	1

Abstract:

Global wildlife trade is a multibillion-dollar industry and a significant driver of vertebrate extinction risk. Yet, few studies have quantified the impact of wild harvesting for the illicit pet trade on populations. Long-lived species, by virtue of their slow life history characteristics, may be unable to sustain even low levels of collecting. Here, we assessed the impact of illegal collecting on populations of endangered broad-headed snakes (Hoplocephalus bungaroides) at gated (protected) and ungated (unprotected) sites. Because broad-headed snakes are long-lived, grow slowly and reproduce infrequently, populations are likely vulnerable to increases in adult mortality. Long-term data revealed that annual survival rates of snakes were significantly lower in the ungated population than the gated population, consistent with the hypothesis of human removal of snakes for the pet trade. Population viability analysis showed that the ungated population has a strongly negative population growth rate and is only prevented from ultimate extinction by dispersal of small numbers of individuals from the gated population. Sensitivity analyses showed that the removal of a small number of adult females was sufficient to impose negative population growth and suggests that threatened species with slow life histories are likely to be especially vulnerable to illegal collecting.

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http://hdl.handle.net/10453/147774