Reptiles · Squamata · Colubridae

Brown Tree Snake

Boiga irregularis

Least Concern

The species is abundant and widely distributed; it faces no significant short-term risk. See full glossary

The brown tree snake, known in Spanish as serpiente arbórea café or culebra arborícola marrón, is a nocturnal colubrid native to Australia and Melanesia, and probably the most destructive invasive species in the history of the Pacific islands. It reached Guam accidentally shortly after the Second World War in a military cargo and caused the complete collapse of the island's native birdlife.

Size

1 m – 3 m

Lifespan

12 years

Diet

Carnivore

Feeds mainly on other animals.

Activity

Nocturnal

Active mainly at night.

Social structure

Solitary

Lives and hunts alone, joining others only to breed.

Sighting difficulty

Easy

RainforestTemperate forestIslandsCarnivore Nocturnal Solitary Reptile Rainforest Temperate forest Islands

9countries 13parks17same family

Fun facts

On Guam it wiped out ten of the twelve native forest bird species in barely three decades: with no predators and no competition, it reached densities of thousands of snakes per square kilometre and emptied the forest of birds entirely.
Its climbing up power poles causes recurrent blackouts on the island, at an economic cost of millions of dollars a year.
The United States has gone so far as to drop dead mice laced with paracetamol, which is lethal to these snakes, from helicopters in an attempt to control the Guam population.

Life cycle & biology

Skeleton type: Vertebrate - internal bony skeleton (reptile)
Habitat & environment: Forest, scrub, plantations and urban areas of Australia, New Guinea and the Pacific islands
Sexual maturity: 3 years
Gestation / incubation: 2.5 months
Litter / clutch size: 6 eggs

Sources consulted: https://es.wikipedia.org/wiki/Boiga_irregularis