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. 2023 Feb;37(1):e14016.
doi: 10.1111/cobi.14016. Epub 2022 Nov 27.

A systematic review of snake translocations to identify potential tactics for reducing postrelease effects

Jonathan D Choquette  1   2 , Jacqueline D Litzgus  1 , Joanne X Y Gui  2 , Trevor E Pitcher  3
Affiliations

A systematic review of snake translocations to identify potential tactics for reducing postrelease effects

Jonathan D Choquette et al. Conserv Biol. 2023 Feb.

Erratum in

Abstract
in English, Spanish, Chinese

Advancements in the field of reintroduction biology are needed, but understanding of how to effectively conduct translocations, particularly with snakes, is lacking. We conducted a systematic review of snake translocation studies to identify potential tactics for reducing postrelease effects. We included studies on intentional, human-mediated, wild-wild, or captive-wild translocations to any location, regardless of motive or number of snakes translocated. Only studies that presented results for at least 1 of 4 outcomes (movement behavior, site fidelity, survival, or population establishment) were included. We systematically searched 4 databases for published studies and used 5 methods to search the gray literature. Our search and screening criteria yielded 121 data sources, representing 130 translocation cases. We quantified the association between 15 translocation tactics and short-term translocation outcomes by calculating odds ratios and used forest plots to display results. Snake translocations involved 47 species (from mainly 2 families), and most were motivated by research, were monitored for at least 6 months, occurred in North America, and took place from the 1990s onward. The odds of a positive snake translocation outcome were highest with release of captive reared or juvenile snakes, release of social groups together, delayed release, provision of environmental enrichment or social housing before release, or minimization of distance translocated. The odds of a positive outcome were lowest when snakes were released early in their active season. Our results do not demonstrate causation, but outcomes of snake translocation were associated with 8 tactics (4 of which were strongly correlated). In addition to targeted comparative studies, we recommend practitioners consider the possible influence of these tactics when planning snake translocations.

La biología de la reintroducción requiere de avances; sin embargo, hay muy poco conocimiento sobre cómo realizar efectivamente las reubicaciones, particularmente las de las serpientes. Revisamos sistemáticamente los estudios sobre reubicación de serpientes para identificar las potenciales maniobras de reducción del estrés postliberación. Incluimos estudios sobre las reubicaciones a cualquier localidad que hayan sido intencionales, mediadas por humanos, de ambiente silvestre a ambiente silvestre o de cautiverio a ambiente silvestre sin importar el motivo o el número de serpientes reubicadas. Sólo incluimos estudios que presentaran resultados para al menos 1 de los cuatro resultados posibles: conducta de movimiento, fidelidad al sitio, supervivencia o establecimiento poblacional. Buscamos sistemáticamente en cuatro bases de datos de estudios publicados y usamos cinco métodos para buscar en la literatura gris. Nuestros criterios de búsqueda y revisión resultaron en 121 fuentes de datos, las cuales representaron 130 casos de reubicación. Cuantificamos la asociación entre 15 maniobras de reubicación y los resultados a corto plazo de las reubicaciones mediante el cálculo de la razón de probabilidades y usamos diagramas de efecto para mostrar los resultados. La reubicación de serpientes incluyó a 47 especies (principalmente de dos familias) y la mayoría estuvo motivada por la investigación, fue monitoreada durante seis meses (al menos), se ubicó en América del Norte y ocurrieron a partir de la década de 1990. La probabilidad de que la reubicación de serpientes tuviera un resultado positivo fueron mayores con la liberación de serpientes criadas o juveniles, la liberación de grupos sociales en conjunto, la liberación retardada, el suministro de enriquecimiento ambiental o alojamiento previo a la liberación o la reducción de la distancia de reubicación. Esta misma probabilidad fue menor cuando las serpientes fueron liberadas tempranamente durante su temporada activa. Nuestros resultados no demuestran causalidad, pero los resultados de la reubicación de serpientes estuvieron asociados con ocho maniobras (cuatro de las cuales contaban con una correlación sólida). Además de los estudios comparativos focalizados, recomendamos que los practicantes consideren la posible influencia de estas maniobras cuando se planifiquen la reubicación de serpientes.

重引入领域需要进一步发展, 但如何有效进行生物迁移仍存在知识空缺, 特别是对蛇类的迁移。我们对蛇类迁地研究进行了系统性综述, 以确定减少释放后影响的潜在策略。我们收集了所有地区有意的、人类介导的、野生-野生及圈养-野生的迁地研究, 无论动机或蛇的数量。只有包含四个结果(运动行为、位点保守性、存活率、种群建立情况)中至少一个的研究才被纳入分析。我们系统地搜索了四个数据库中已发表的研究, 并用五种方法搜索了灰色文献, 最终获得121个数据源, 代表了130个迁地案例。我们通过计算优势比量化了15种迁地策略和短期迁地结果之间的关联, 并用森林图展示了结果。我们发现, 蛇类的迁移涉及47个物种(主要来自2个科), 大多数发生在北美、在20世纪90年代以后、出于研究的动机, 且监测了至少6个月。在释放人工饲养的蛇或亚成体蛇、同时释放社会群体、延迟释放、在释放前提供环境丰容或遮蔽物, 以及尽量减少迁移距离的情况下, 产生积极结果的几率最高。当在蛇的活动季节早期释放, 产生积极结果的几率最低。我们的结果并不能证明因果关系, 但发现蛇类迁移结果与8种策略有关(其中4种强相关)。除了有针对性的比较研究外, 我们还建议保护实践者在规划蛇类迁地项目时考虑这些策略可能产生的影响。【翻译:胡怡思;审校:聂永刚】.

Keywords: aumento poblacional; desplazamiento; displacement; head starting; inicio ventajoso; population augmentation; relocation; repatriación; repatriation; reptil; reptile; rescate de serpientes; reubicación; snake rescue; transplantation; trasplante; 爬行动物, 迁地, 强制迁移, 重新安置, 遣返, 增加种群, 有利开端, 蛇类救援.

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Figures

FIGURE 1
FIGURE 1
Screening process for a systematic review of the literature on snake translocations and the number of sources included in each stage
FIGURE 2
FIGURE 2
Odds ratios (OR) (95% confidence interval) for each of 15 translocation tactics and positive movement behavior outcomes for translocation cases identified in a systematic review of the literature on snake translocations. We calculated the OR for each tactic using a relevant subset of cases from a larger database (n = 130).
FIGURE 3
FIGURE 3
Odds ratios (OR) (95% confidence interval) for each of 15 translocation tactics and positive site fidelity outcomes for translocation cases identified in a systematic review of the literature on snake translocations. We calculated the OR for each tactic using a relevant subset of cases from a larger database (n = 130). Results for minimized‐distance‐translocated tactic are irrelevant because no cases with short‐distance translocations were used in the site fidelity analysis (Appendix S1).
FIGURE 4
FIGURE 4
Odds ratios (ORs) (95% confidence interval) for each of 15 translocation tactics and positive survival outcomes for translocation cases identified in a systematic review of the literature on snake translocations. We calculated the OR for each tactic using a relevant subset of cases from a larger database (n = 130).
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