Two reported brown tree snake sightings on Rota last August prompted a quick response from a team of biologists out of the US Fish and Wildlife Service, the CNMI Brown Tree Snake Program, the US Geological Survey and other local and federal wildlife specialists who take MP on a tour of the surveying process, showing us the various methods used to determine whether or not Rota has been infested, and so far, there have been no data confirming the presence of the brown tree snakes on Rota.
A community outreach event was held this past Friday to demonstrate the snake surveying process where MP learned of the various methods practiced by wildlife biologists such as night surveying, traps with live mice set up throughout the island, game cameras that take still photos of the area, and the E-DNA swab method that would identify brown tree snake DNA if present.
According to information shared at the event, since they have been here in August there have been no sightings yet, however the rotating team of experts will continue to conduct data collection through October, to confidently say that there are no snakes on Rota.
MP’s Rota Correspondent Joycelynn Atalig reports out of Luta.
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