A reptilian smoking gun: first record of invasive Jackson’s chameleon (Chamaeleo jacksonii) predation on native Hawaiian species

Autor: Steven L. Montgomery, Vincent Costello, Brenden S. Holland
Rok vydání: 2009
Předmět:
Zdroj: Biodiversity and Conservation. 19:1437-1441
ISSN: 1572-9710
0960-3115
Popis: Here we report the first conclusive evidence of an introduced reptile (Chamaeleo jacksonii) feeding on Hawaiian taxa, including 11 snails in four endemic genera from two families, including four individuals of an endangered species (Achatinella mustelina), and native insects in five genera. Native Hawaiian invertebrates were dis- covered in the dissected stomachs of wild caught Jackson's chameleons collected from June to November 2009 on the island of Oahu. Although Jackson's chameleons were introduced to the Hawaiian Islands in the early 1970s, ecological impacts have never been documented. Of particular concern is the fact that chameleons have previously only rarely been found in native Hawaiian habitat, although 12 were recently collected in a mid- elevation native forest, an area that is not likely to be suitable for their long-term persis- tence, but that is adjacent to higher elevation pristine forest where endemic prey are abundant and favorable climatic conditions exist for chameleon persistence. One concern is that Jacksons's chameleons may be undergoing a range expansion into upper elevation pristine forests. If chameleons reach and establish populations in these areas, devastating impacts to the native ecosystem are possible. A thorough understanding of the impacts of chameleons on Hawaiian fauna will require additional evaluation and sampling, but dis- semination of this discovery in a timely fashion is important as it provides new information regarding this threat. Monitoring and collection of chameleons is ongoing, particularly in native Hawaiian forest habitats at mid and upper elevations (600-1,300 m).
Databáze: OpenAIRE
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