A check list and population trends of invasive amphibians and reptiles in Taiwan

By

Lee, Ko-Huan
Chen, Tien-Hsi
Shang, Gaus
Clulow, Simon
Yang, Yi-Ju
Lin, Si-Min

Type

Article

Date of Publication

2019

Original Publication

ZooKeys

Volume

829

Pages

85-130

Subjects

Alien species , CITES , fauna checklist , international trade , island biogeography , IUCN

Contributed by

Pensoft Publishers

Language

English

Published by

Sofia, Bulgaria Pensoft Publishers

Identifiers

DOI: https://doi.org/10.3897/zookeys.829.27535

 

Abstract

Invasive species have impacted biodiversity all around the world. Among various ecosystems, islands are most vulnerable to these impacts due to their high ratio of endemism, highly specialized adaptation, and isolated and unique fauna. As with other subtropical islands, Taiwan faces constant risk of biological invasions and is currently ranked as one of the countries most affected by invasive amphibians and reptiles. In this paper, a comprehensive checklist of all known exotic amphibians and reptiles is provided, including twelve species which have successfully colonized Taiwan and six species with a controversial status. We provide an update on the knowledge of all these species including their distribution, colonization history, threats to native animals, and population trends based on literature records, fauna surveys, and data collected during invasive species eradication and control programs. A list of species with high invasive potentials is also provided. This study reports, for the first time, a comprehensive survey of invasive herpetofauna in Taiwan, which should provide a valuable reference to other regions which might suffer from similar invasion risk.