164- GUAM'S BROWN TREE SNAKE

IF YOU SEE ONE OF THESE SNAKES, PLEASE KILL IT, OR REPORT IT.

These Brown Tree Snakes are wreaking havoc on the bird and small animal population on Guam. The real problem the snake poses is it's spread to neighboring islands and where ever flights from Guam touch down. Some more facts:.........Guam has been infested by aliens of the scaly, slithering kind. Once a snake-free island, Guam is now the home to over 12,000 to 15,000 brown tree snakes per square mile. The snake is causing many economical and ecological problems on this island: it is the cause of many power outages every year, it is a major threat to some animal species, and it has completely wiped out over 8 species of birds that are native to Guam, some of which existed only on that island. So how did a snake like this become introduced to an snake-less island? In the early 1950’s, the snake was accidentally transported into Guam, probably via ship cargo. By the 1960’s, the snake had adapted to and dispersed throughout Guam. These snakes bring nothing but trouble with them. Over the course of two decades, the snake has gotten rid of almost all the native birds of Guam. It caused the extinction of the Guam rail and the Micronesian kingfisher, among other types of fowl. The snake is not only a threat to the birds of Guam, but also to small mammals such as the flying fox and the fruit bat. The brown tree snake also causes power outages - over 1200 since 1978. In addition, although their bite is only mildly poisonous to adults, it can cause severe sickness in young children....So not a good thing to have existing here, that's for sure. Always be on..Snake Alert. Now you have a very nice day, and don't dream about snakes tonight. ...........GED..........