MD Release Program?

[AllThingsReptile]

As there seems to be a lack of proper discussion/debate threads on here atm,
and this is something i have been thinking about for a while now,
Are there any release programs for Murray Darling Carpets?
and if not, why?
They are very endangered, and the Keeper/Breeder community has the means to help re-populate and save them from extinction, so why don't we do something!

My thoughts are, there are definitely enough of them in captivity, and enough genetic diversity, to be able to successfully set up a breed and release program.
With enough willing breeders, say donating one individual out of each clutch they produce,
in a few years there would be enough adult snakes to begin to breed them and release the offspring.
Obviously the donated snakes would have to be 100% pure, and would be released into areas where there are known populations of MD's (however small that population may be).

As stated above this i posted this as a discussion thread,
anyone want to add any pro's/con's or point something out, do it!

 

[baker]

Biggest problem is the risk of introducing a novel unknown disease into the wild population that will devastate them even more. This is the biggest reason why privately breed reptiles will never be used to repopulate wild populations.
Another point against it is what's the point of releasing a bunch of new snakes into the ecosystem without first addressing and fixing the underlying cause of population decline. If the wild population are already hovering around the carrying capacity for python numbers in the ecosystem currently dumping a bunch of snakes into the population will just drastically increase the rate of intra-specific competition and you will end up with more dead snakes. Ecosystems and ecology in general are very complex things to deal with and without the proper research and understanding you will just do more harm than good.
Cheers Cameron

 

[AllThingsReptile]

Yes, accidentally introducing an unknown disease is a pretty huge risk, but in years to come we may be forced to take it.
To deal with the cause of population decline would mean eradicating foxes, feral cats, and probably the human race.
My biggest concern is once the inevitable arrival of the cane toad in Southern Nsw/Vic/Sa, any remaining pythons won't stand a chance

 

[thesilverbeast]

You've answered your own question here.

To deal with the cause of population decline would mean eradicating foxes, feral cats, and probably the human race.

Seeing as we cannot do any of those things, if we released pythons into the wild, they will end up dead anyway. The effort will be for nothing. It will not change anything and just end up with a quicker decline as they now all have to compete for limited resources.

If you can't fix the problem of why they are declining in the wild, then you cannot release any more as you can do much more harm than good. All captive bred release programs for endangered animals involve a key factor to remove the reason for decline in the first place. (for example, small native mammals in fox-proof fenced areas.)

 

[AllThingsReptile]

Seeing as we cannot do any of those things, if we released pythons into the wild, they will end up dead anyway. The effort will be for nothing. It will not change anything and just end up with a quicker decline as they now all have to compete for limited resources.

I wouldn't say "resources" are limited, not for a well established python anyway,
Rabbits, House mice and Rats are everywhere, native or not they are a food source.
Suitable habitat is what is limited.

With the amount of knowledgeable people on this forum, surely we could figure out how this could be done successfully

 

[ozziepythons]

About 12 years ago there was a 3 year approval for a breed and release program for MDs on a property 10 minutes from my place in the eastern Adelaide Hills. I still have the document submitted to National Parks somewhere. Nearly 200 neonates in all were released and this seems to have worked, a few specimens released were seen most years and adult specimens are still encountered there occasionally. They were originally in the region but became excessively rare and the last specimen from the property prior to the release project taking place was in 1988. A trial introduction of woma pythons to the Arid Recovery Reserve in SA with captive born juveniles was a spectacular failure, most were chomped down by king browns!

 

[AllThingsReptile]

So it can and has worked in the past?
Although 12 years ago conditions would probably have been better

If the releases started where some populations exist, and then started slowly spreading them along their original distribution, would this help combat the problem of pythons having to compete?
As released individuals grew, wouldn't they establish their own territories, and smaller males leave and find another suitable home?

 

[baker]

Predators are not the only cause of population decline with a species. Habitat and prey abundance are two of the biggest limiting factors for populations.
As you say for a well established python they may have access to enough prey items and suitable habitat needed to survive. But also remember that every individual wild python right now will have their own specific area with prey supply. To add anymore pythons into these areas where all the suitable habitat areas are already taken will just end up all the new individuals most likely dying.
No matter how many knowledgeable people there are on this forum will not help in trying to make up any sort of plan for 'releases'.
What is needed instead are in depth field ecology studies to be undertaken to see what is occurring in the wild and what is limiting the populations. The problem is that these are incredibly complex to undertake, ideally need to be at least 3 years minimum in length and requires funding. Funding is the biggest problem as it is incredibly difficult to obtain and is what limits every study undertaken.
Cheers Cameron.

 

[ozziepythons]

This project was a trial and even though site meetings occurred with representatives from National Parks, SA Museum and other interested parties there wasn't a huge amount of science this release was based upon prior, during or following it which I believe was a shame and much that could have been taken from it has been lost. I strongly suspect that MDs were probably still around in low numbers if not on the property but very near by as there is suitable habitat surrounding the region and the few sightings that have occurred in the greater region since. Those released probably just bred themselves into the greater population of MDs and maybe attracted some lingering males nearby back along that stretch of creek line and into the adjacent craggy cliffs dotted with caves they have now reclaimed.

 

[AllThingsReptile]

[MENTION=28684]baker[/MENTION] I never said predators are the only cause of population decline, i did mention habitat in an above post.
Also i understand your point with individuals competing and dying, hence my comment above yours
I agree there is definitely a lot of research that needs to be done, maybe DEPI could be convinced to fund it, but it'd be a long shot.
[MENTION=20427]ozziepythons[/MENTION] That is a shame that such valuable info is lost,
but if the population in the area has grown in anyway, that can only be good news i guess