Guam, USGS Closed Population (NWFN), an experimental eradication of brown treesnakes in a 5-ha study site, 2016 - 2023

These data represent a case study on managing the invasive brown treesnake (Boiga irregularis) on Guam within a 5 ha snake enclosure located on Northern Guam. The site code (NWFN or North West Field North) reflects a location on Andersen Air Force Base, Northern Guam, which has been a study site for close to two decades. The experimental process followed an adaptive resource management process to develop an integrated pest management strategy for either eradication or validating whether extant species (rodents, lizards, and birds) would respond to population suppression over a 6 year removal effort. The program included an evaluation of the Aerial Delivery System, as well as a comparison of bait species (quail, chickens, rats, and mice) and size (large, small) on take rates, as well as snake removal. Additionally, later in the removal effort the data involve a comparative capture rate for snakes in live traps using mice or birds as the live lure. The final data include rates of hand capture based removal. During the period of the study snake population was monitored intensively using mark-recapture approaches. During the nocturnal visual surveys we also monitored the full scope of extant prey species (lizards, rats, and birds), which allows the snake population data to be compared with prey response.