# Avian Silence: Without Birds to Disperse Seeds, Guam's Forest Is Changing



## Fuscus (Aug 11, 2009)

*Published:* 8-11-2009
*Source:* Science News, Articles and Information | Scientific American
*Author:* 

Sometime after World War II the brown tree snake arrived as a stowaway on this U.S. Pacific island territory 6,100 kilometers west of Hawaii. It has since extirpated 10 of the island's 12 native forest bird species. The remaining forest birds have.....


Next time you fill out a "*Should we be allowed to keep exotics?*" remember this

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## Rainbow-Serpent (Aug 11, 2009)

Woah.

I reckon they should let us keep some exotics, just make it on a class 2 license, so morons can't get to them and cause trouble.


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## snakey001 (Aug 11, 2009)

Rainbow-Serpent said:


> Woah.
> 
> I reckon they should let us keep some exotics, just make it on a class 2 license, so morons can't get to them and cause trouble.


 

 Typical response from a young person!! You obviously have no idea about what can and will happen when they are in our country 

You only have to look at all the exotic animals that are already here to see what destruction they have caused to out ecology


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## jessb (Aug 11, 2009)

Rainbow-Serpent said:


> Woah.
> 
> I reckon they should let us keep some exotics, just make it on a class 2 license, so morons can't get to them and cause trouble.


 

Oh yeah, because there aren't ANY morons with Class 2 licences!  All you need to do to qualify is to have a CLass One for 2 years and send in your forms and money!!!


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## seanjbkorbett (Aug 11, 2009)

*Some exotics*



snakey001 said:


> Typical response from a young person!! You obviously have no idea about what can and will happen when they are in our country
> 
> You only have to look at all the exotic animals that are already here to see what destruction they have caused to out ecology



hey!  well iam not young!..and this story shouldnt be compared to "keeping exotics is bad"..maybe the story with the burmese pythons over in the states but not this...whats happening over there in Guam is not cool! but how is it telling us never to KEEP exotics!..as i believe SOME exotics should be allowed,to open up a broader horizon for some herpers who have a interest in other reptiles that australia do not have,why should it be illegal and looked down on for a Aussie who has a interest in SOME exotics (as i do believe some exotics should NOT be allowed over here!)..but what about leopard gecko's,anoles,chameleons,Iguanas for example,how would n e of those species threaten our enviroment if they get loose?..now dont get me wrong,they should never be loose even if they wont threaten our enviroment..as this is about KEEPING exotics not releasing them..and i dont see any reason why we cant keep SOME exotics (if the goverment does it properly with quarantine and with breeding exotics in australia so we dont have to import and bring in diseases)..and we ALL know IF DONE PROPERLY with lisences,laws and restriction there are SOME exotics that could easily be bred & kept in australia that could NEVER threaten the inviroment..so again..why not! why cant we keep SOME exotcis with laws...im sick of Axolotles,what makes them so special that they can be exotic and be in australia! ahahaha..any way
cheers


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## webcol (Aug 11, 2009)

There are 5 main reasons that cause the loss of biodiversity, as follows
1. Over harvesting
2. *Alien species*
3. Destruction of habitat
4. Islandisation
5. Pollution 
This is a good indication to keep the exotic species away from our shores...


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## Dodie (Aug 12, 2009)

So all of the reptile keepers only keep species that are endemic to their own area in Australia? ha.


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## waynej (Aug 12, 2009)

They thought the CANE TOAD was safe too... And look at the problems it causing.

It may be a good idea to legalise some exotic that are already here like Corn Snake, so they can keep some sort of track on them. I'm sure many readers know of someone how has exotic reptiles, Like Spitting Cobras, boas, redtails, cornsnake etc......


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## snakey001 (Aug 16, 2009)

seanjbkorbett said:


> hey!  well iam not young!..and this story shouldnt be compared to "keeping exotics is bad"..maybe the story with the burmese pythons over in the states but not this...whats happening over there in Guam is not cool! but how is it telling us never to KEEP exotics!..as i believe SOME exotics should be allowed,to open up a broader horizon for some herpers who have a interest in other reptiles that australia do not have,why should it be illegal and looked down on for a Aussie who has a interest in SOME exotics (as i do believe some exotics should NOT be allowed over here!)..but what about leopard gecko's,anoles,chameleons,Iguanas for example,how would n e of those species threaten our enviroment if they get loose?..now dont get me wrong,they should never be loose even if they wont threaten our enviroment..as this is about KEEPING exotics not releasing them..and i dont see any reason why we cant keep SOME exotics (if the goverment does it properly with quarantine and with breeding exotics in australia so we dont have to import and bring in diseases)..and we ALL know IF DONE PROPERLY with lisences,laws and restriction there are SOME exotics that could easily be bred & kept in australia that could NEVER threaten the inviroment..so again..why not! why cant we keep SOME exotcis with laws...im sick of Axolotles,what makes them so special that they can be exotic and be in australia! ahahaha..any way
> cheers


 

WOW what a load of dribble:shock:

One day you will grow up and realize that you should be happy with the animals we have here and not bring exotics in to mess things up 

But I'm sure at the ripe old age of 22 you no what your taking about


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## Frozenmouse (Aug 17, 2009)

yeah next thing one of you crazy kids will want to allow importation of cane toads or rabbits to australia imagine if they got loose .


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## Fuscus (Aug 17, 2009)

seanjbkorbett said:


> there are SOME exotics that could easily be bred & kept in australia that could NEVER threaten the inviroment..


So what ones would those be? 

A case in point - Asian House Geckos. For over a century it was confined in Australia to small patches near Darwin. In Cogger 6 the distribution shown is a small patch around Darwin, a small patch near Katherine and the tip of cape york.


> No longer present in abandoned settlements where it once occurred, suggesting a dependence on man for its distribution in this country.
> *Cogger Sixth Edition page 246 2000 *(maybe a quote from the original edition 1975)





> The House Gecko appears to be dependent on human settlement for its spread in Australia and could therefore be considered a "weed" species. Whether it can adapt to and colonise other less disturbed or undisturbed habitats (and thereby compete with native species on a wider basis) remains to be seen.
> *Harald Ehmann NPIAW 1992*


In the ensuing years something happened, now it not only one of the most common urban reptiles in Qld but you can also encounter them in deep bush. Personally I don't think it is worth the risk to our wonderful wildlife to intentionally import exotics.


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## JasonL (Aug 17, 2009)

Naturalized reptiles and amphibians ... - Google Books


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## carpetmuncher (Aug 22, 2009)

Fuscus said:


> *Published:* 8-11-2009
> *Source:* Science News, Articles and Information | Scientific American
> *Author:*
> 
> ...


 

poor argument. maybe it should be "should we be allowed to keep brown tree snakes". i hardly think a reason not to keep say, day geckoes, should be based on what brown tree snakes have done. each species needs to be assessed on it's own.


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