BTS search ends, but no snakes found

No snakes were reported caught or sighted as the latest search for brown tree snakes on Saipan came to a close.

According to U.S. Geological Survey Brown Tree Snake Rapid Response Team coordinator Adam Knox, they continued to conduct searches through the weekend bringing their total searching time in the focal area to three weeks.

The team, along with the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service and the Department of Lands and Natural Resources-Division of Fish and Wildlife, were searching the Lower Base area after a sighting was reported there on April 1.

The team set up traps and performed searches at night near the Lower Base area surrounding Middle Road to look for the snake and determine if it could possibly be part of a larger population of snakes in the area.

The latest sighting on April 1 was made at about 9pm describing a snake moving across the road toward the ocean side just south of Isa Drive near the Lower Base area.

“The witness, who had seen Brown Tree Snakes in Guam before, described the snake as being 4 to 5 feet in length and brown in color. It appeared to have possibly been ran over by a van in front of her car as she was slowing down for a closer look due the momentary struggling movement witnessed as the snake crossed the road near her car. The snake quickly disappeared into the forest next to the road after the encounter,” Knox said.

“Since April 1, no additional snake sightings have been reported,” he added

“We will continue to monitor the snake sighting areas on a cyclical basis, although with less frequency,” Knox said when asked what steps they will be taking when no snakes were found.

Although snakes, as cold blooded animals, use ambient heat to speed up their metabolism and are generally more active as temperature increases, the hot weather on island may not have noticeable difference in activity of the potential snakes in the Marianas “since temperature fluctuations are somewhat minimal at night during their time of peak activity,” Knox said.

Although the team focused on the Lower Base area, mouse-baited traps continue to be monitored around the airport near Dandan where previous sightings occurred.

Along with their operations, the team also had the opportunity to brief seven students from the environmental science department of the Northern Marianas College on the various components of Brown Tree Snake rapid response as well as the ecological significance of Brown Tree Snake before and then allowed the to shadow the start of a snake search as part of their course requirement.

“Everyone enjoyed the experience, learning interesting facts about the snake as well as our work,” Knox said.

Knox called on the community to help in killing or capturing brown tree snakes should they be sighted.

“We encourage the CNMI community to kill any snake seen and report it by calling 28-SNAKE. If a snake is encountered but unable to be killed, please photograph it in it’s last known location and call 28-SNAKE,” Knox said.