Orange-tailed skink rescued from extinction

08/06/2011 21:22:31 Durrell instrumental in saving the orange-tailed skink from extinction
June 2011. Durrell Wildlife Conservation Trust has received 22 orange-tailed skinks which were rescued following the invasion of Flat Island, near Mauritius, by the predatory Indian musk shrew.

Discovered in 1995
The orange-tailed skink was discovered on Flat Island, the largest of the Mauritian islands in 1995, since then habitat modification and the introduction of non-native predators elsewhere in Mauritius has meant that Flat Island became the last refuge for this Critically Endangered reptile.

Tourism development threat
In 2007 plans were revealed to develop Flat Island for the enhancement of tourism. Many concerns were raised over this, particularly the risk of introducing invasive shrews and wolf snakes, both thought to be responsible for decimating small terrestrial reptile communities in Mauritius. In February 2008 to mitigate the predicted threat of predator introduction, Durrell's team, along with staff from the Mauritian Wildlife Foundation and the Mauritius National Parks and Conservation Service, translocated 82 orange-tailed skinks to the nature reserve, Gunner's Quoin.

Predatory shrews
Fears of development on Flat Island were realised in 2010, when shrews were detected on the island. This was a severe blow to conservation in Mauritius, but the on site teams acted quickly and translocated a further 390 orange-tailed skinks. On a recent expedition to Flat Island and exactly one year on from the discovery of the shrew, Durrell staff found that, despite intensive and lengthy searches of the island using highly sensitive techniques for detecting the secretive orange-tailed skink, none were found.

Commenting on the project Dr Nik Cole of Durrell said "Had the reptile team not reacted to the threat of development and the arrival of the shrew, the orange-tailed skink would now be extinct. However, it may be years before we can confirm that the translocations have been a success. Some skinks will be maintained at Durrell until we are certain that the translocated populations have established or we manage to find a way to tackle the shrew problem."

Discussing the restoration of Mauritius' endemic reptile communities, which is one of Durrell's core conservation projects Cole added "Another vulnerable reptile species lost from the Flat Island has been the Vulnerable endemic lesser night gecko, which is restricted to just a couple of other islands. Fortunately, we have been working with this species both here and at the Herpetological Department at our Jersey Headquarters to improve its conservation status."

Orange-tailed skink
The orange-tailed skink is a cryptic and secretive species that has not even been fully described. The species belongs to the genus Gongylomorphus, but as yet has no specific name. Therefore its current scientific name remains Gongylomorphus spp. It is most closely related to the Macchabe skink Gongylomorphus fontenayi

Mauritius and its offshore islands are one of the five major areas of work within the ‘Islands at Risk' theme of Durrell's Conservation Programme 2011-2015. These islands serve as a historical reminder of the effects of human expansion on biodiversity through a legacy of extensive eradications of native species and the introduction of non-native species that have had major impacts. Less than 5% of native forest remains on Mauritius and there have been more than 40 documented extinctions since 1600 (IUCN 2011).

7 species of bird saved
However Mauritius also serves as a global icon for what conservation can achieve through long-term dedication and at least seven species of bird, the Rodrigues fruitbat, and numerous reptiles have been saved from extinction thanks to conservation efforts. Durrell has supported conservation in the region since the 1970s, starting with efforts to save the Mauritius kestrel (Falco punctatus).

Durrell now works through partnership with the Mauritian Wildlife Foundation and the National Parks and Conservation Service of Mauritius. Their focus remains the restoration of island habitats and species and the development of conservation skills within the region. For Durrell a particular focus has been placed on the restoration of Mauritius' endemic reptile community, which was one of the richest reptile diversities in the world. The legacy of human settlement caused approximately 60% of the species on Mauritius to go extinct and many species were restricted to one or two tiny islands, making them highly vulnerable. For many years now Durrell, MWF and NPCS have focussed on rebuilding reptile communities, which play an important role in the ecology of these islands.

Invasive predators
So far numerous translocations have been made for five species between offshore islands and their numbers and progress have been monitored closely. The single largest threat to these restoration efforts is the introduction of non-native predators such as rats, Indian musk shrews and wolf snakes. Although with great effort, rats can be removed from small islands, shrews and snakes are almost impossible to remove from islands larger than a few hectares.

Preventing the constant re-introduction of non-native predators where there is public access remains one of the great challenges of working on these small islands.

Durrell Wildlife Conservation Trust
Durrell Wildlife Conservation Trust is an international charity working globally to save species from extinction. Headquartered in Jersey, in the Channel Islands, Durrell focuses on the most threatened species in the most threatened places. Durrell's philosophy emphasises the need for our three core conservation pillars to work together: A wildlife park in Jersey as a centre of animal husbandry and knowledge; disciplined management of conservation programmes in the field; and an International Training Centre to build conservation capacity.

Durrell's belief is that lasting and effective wildlife conservation can be achieved where these three components are in harmony.