Antigua snake (Antigua whip snake)

Alsophis antiguae**

 The Antigua slender snake, English Antiguan Racer (Alsophis antiguae), is a species of snake from the snake family. It is endemic to Antigua in the Lesser Antilles and was considered the rarest snake in the world in the 1990s. The World Conservation Organization IUCN has put the Antigua snake on the Red List of Endangered Species, and the population has been somewhat consolidated thanks to a conservation program that has received worldwide attention.

The males are 50–60 cm long and dark gray / brown in color, with lighter markings on the upper side. The females, on the other hand, are lighter, with darker markings and are 80–100 cm long. The reptile is very shy, nontoxic and completely harmless. It feeds on lizards and other small creatures. It is not a serious threat to the breeding activity of the numerous bird species.

The Antigua slender snake was originally native to the eastern Caribbean island of Antigua and its numerous offshore islets. The colonization by a white population and their black slaves, which began in the 16th century, meant extermination not only for the local Caribs, but also indirectly for the Antigua snake. Up until now it had few natural enemies, but its habitat was destroyed by increasing agricultural use (sugar cane, fruits, etc.). This reptile in Antigua had further problems with the large number of rats that had been introduced and specialized in clutches. The definitive end was made by the Indian mongooses, which could be dangerous to the snakes. Mongoose were introduced to the West Indies in the early 19th century. They were supposed to fight the rats on the sugar cane plantations, but ultimately could not do much against the rat plague and in turn became a danger to the native fauna.

Rumors of sightings of the Antigua slender snake on Great Bird Island have been circulating for a long time. In the 1960s, it was certain that the snake had survived there. Three animals were caught. A fourth specimen is said to have been discovered in 1989.

The island is in front of Antigua north-northeast and barely three kilometers away. Its area measures around 10 hectares. The island slopes gently to the west and has rugged cliffs in the east that drop steeply into the sea. It is covered with low shrubbery and numerous other plant species. Great Bird Island is the nesting, breeding and resting place for numerous bird species. Small lizards and numerous species of insects can be seen there. The island is very stony and not suitable for agricultural use.

A group of scientists researched from 1995 on behalf of the nature conservation organization Flora and Fauna International (FFI) for further Antigua slender snakes and counted a total of about 50 specimens. Many of them had wounds that must have come from rats. In addition, the male / female ratio was completely unbalanced. No young animals were found.

The Antiguan Racer Conservation Project was initiated to save this highly endangered species.

The greatest threat to the rediscovered population on Great Bird Island was rats - the mongoose had never settled there. So a program had to be developed to eradicate all of the rats on the island. Eventually it was decided to use agrochemicals. The ecologically harmless rat poison Kleram was administered in tablet form. In order to prevent other animals (birds) from falling victim to this poison, fragrances and flavors were also processed. The action was successful. All rats could be eliminated.

Since there are still numerous rats on the neighboring islets, there are fears that these good swimmers might immigrate to Great Bird Island again. That is why the rats are also destroyed with the same chemical in the surrounding areas. The establishment of rearing stations was also considered.

Source: IUCN Red List

Efforts are underway to reintroduce the Antigua snake to other islands off Antigua. However, these must be rat and mungo free. From 1999 the snake could be resettled on the small island Rabbit Island to the southwest. The lack of the main prey on Great Bird, the rail lizard Griswolds Ameive (Ameiva griswoldi) - also endemic to Antigua - was critical. The project was successful, however, the population is considered viable. The reintroduction measures were extended to Green Island in 2002 and York Island in 2008.

In the meantime, a total population of 500 animals is assumed at the beginning of the 2010s, which represents a tenfold increase in the population within 20 years, and makes the Antiguan Racer Conservation Project one of the model projects for rescue measures. Similar protective measures would also have to be taken for the endemic species living there: Other species related to Alsophis antiguae are native to other Caribbean islands, such as the Jamaican slender snake (Alsophis ater). The rarest snake is now the Saint Lucia racer (Erythrolamprus ornatus), which is in a similar position to the Antiguan racer in the 1990s.

As a result of the small population, there is theoretically a risk of hereditary diseases that could occur due to genetic inbreeding. Experience shows, however, that many animal species cope with such genetic bottlenecks surprisingly well.

A certain threat, albeit to a lesser extent, is the numerous hurricanes and rising sea levels, which could increase due to changes in the global climate. Hurricane Luis in September 1995 caused severe coastal damage. Although the snakes have survived on Great Bird Island, which is completely exposed to the storm, more sheltered islands behind the reef belt of Antigua have been selected for resettlement.

The 40,000 or so tourists that Great Bird Island now visit annually are another problem. The Antigua slender snake is therefore under constant observation.

The main problem, however, is the area of ​​tension between nature conservation and structural tourist development, in which all of Antigua's secondary islands are located as well as the main island - and all tropical islands. The Great Bird Islets were bought in the late 1990s by Malaysian investors who planned the Asia Village Resort in the area. Then they belonged to the US-Antiguan investor Allen Stanford. After his conviction in fraud, the question of ownership remains unresolved. Green Island is owned by the local Mill Reef club, which offers day trips but pursues more gentle tourism.

Since the 1970s, protected areas in the area - some for bird protection, reef protection or general biotope protection - have been proposed or planned, but never actually implemented. Since 2006, all islands off the Atlantic east coast of Antigua have belonged to the North East Marine Management Area (NEMMA, 78 km²), a rather unspecific protected area. A Chinese group recently became interested in acquiring the islands around Crump Island and building a resort. In February 2014, a petition to parliament was initiated to at least declare Rabbit Island an express protected area.