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Fascinating and forgotten, the conservation status of marine elapid snakes

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Elfes, C. T., Livingstone, S. R., Lane, A. L. V., Sanders, K. L., Courtney, A. J., Gatus, J. L., Guinea, M., Lobo, A. S., Milton, D. and Rasmussen, A. (2013) Fascinating and forgotten, the conservation status of marine elapid snakes. Herpetological Conservation and Biology, 8 (1). pp. 37-52.

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Article Link: http://herpconbio.org/Volume_8/Issue_1/Elfes_etal_...

Abstract

An assessment of marine elapid snakes found 9% of marine elapids are threatened with extinction, and an additional 6% are Near Threatened. A large portion (34%) is Data Deficient. An analysis of distributions revealed the greatest species diversity is found in Southeast Asia and northern Australia. Three of the seven threatened species occur at Ashmore and Hibernia Reefs in the Timor Sea, while the remaining threatened taxa occur in the Philippines, Niue, and Solomon Islands. The majority of Data Deficient species are found in Southeast Asia. Threats to marine snakes include loss of coral reefs and coastal habitat, incidental bycatch in fisheries, as well as fisheries that target snakes for leather. The presence of two Critically Endangered and one Endangered species in the Timor Sea suggests the area is of particular conservation concern. More rigorous, long-term monitoring of populations is needed to evaluate the success of "conservation measures" for marine snake species, provide scientifically based guidance for determining harvest quotas, and to assess the populations of many Data Deficient species.

Item Type:Article
Business groups:Animal Science
Subjects:Aquaculture and Fisheries > Fisheries > Fishery conservation
Live Archive:24 Jul 2013 01:26
Last Modified:03 Sep 2021 16:49

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