Biosciences Seminar Speaker 10 October 2019

Biosciences Seminar Series - Autumn 2019
10 October 2019 - 1pm - Zoology Museum

Rebuilding the reptile communities of Mauritius

Dr Nik Cole

(Durrell Conservation Trust, UK & Mauritian Wildlife Foundation, Mauritius)

Our Biosciences Seminar Series resumes for the 2019 autumn term with a talk by Dr Nik Cole from the Durrell Conservation Trust, UK and the Mauritian Wildlife Foundation, Mauritius. Nik is a world expert in island restoration and reptile conservation, having saved several species from extinction and is restoring native ecosystems on several Mauritian islands. Further conservation work routinely takes him also to other islands across the Indian ocean and the Caribbean. A particularly interesting aspect of his conservation work is the drive to rebuild stable communities, building up one trophic level after the others.

Abstract

The island of Mauritius has suffered from extensive habitat degradation and species invasion since the 16th Century, resulting in multiple reptile extinctions and extirpations. Several endemic reptile species became restricted to single islet populations, threatened by the presence of introduced mammalian herbivores and predators. Between 1979 and 1998, introduced mammals were removed from the northern islets with the aim to prevent further reptile extinctions. These actions permitted the rebuilding of the reptile communities on the islets through species reintroductions to reduce future extinction risks. Only four small reptile species survived the presence of rats on the northern islet, Gunner’s Quoin (0.70 km2). Having been freed from invasive terrestrial predators and competitors, maintaining suitable habitat structure and closed to public access, Gunner’s Quoin was selected as a suitable recipient islet to rebuild its lost reptile community. 

The keel-scaled boa and Telfair’s skink were present on Gunner’s Quoin until rats invaded in the mid-1800s, but survived on the rat-free Round Island (2.19 km2). Smaller reptile species, such as the orange-tailed skink that became restricted to Flat Island (2.53 km2), were also once part of the wider reptile community on the northern islets. In this presentation, I will summarise the process of reintroducing the Telfair’s skink and keel-scaled boa, and the emergency translocation of orange-tailed skinks to Gunner’s Quoin, which prevented their extinction. Frequent monitoring of the reptile populations has shown the resident species have remained abundant and healthy, that the translocated skinks are established and the boa population size is increasing.

  

Hope to see many of you - everyone most welcome to attend!


For the list of forthcoming seminars see here