Assessing the potential impacts of non-native small mammals in the South African pet trade

A Snapshot of the Global Trade of South African Native Vertebrate Species Not Listed on CITES

The Convention on International Trade in Endangered Species of Wild Fauna and Flora (CITES) aims to prevent the overexploitation of species by controlling their trade. However, there is currently no international regulatory framework to protect the trade of non-CITES species. We examined the LEMIS database, online trade, and scientific literature with the aim of identifying and compiling a list of South African native species traded as pets and wildlife products. We found that there are 223 non-CITES species traded as wildlife products and 95 species traded as pets. Mammals and birds were the most traded taxa for wildlife products, while reptiles and amphibians were mostly traded as pets. At the least, species traded as wildlife products and pets are currently not facing extinction, as most are categorized as Least Concern. However, some endemic species have an unknown population size, with Sclerophrys pantherina and Neamblysomus gunningi being Endangered. The international pet trade involves 10 countries, with the USA, the Czech Republic, and the UK being the largest importers. The trade of species as wildlife products involves 20 countries, with the USA being the major importer. This study emphasizes the necessity of strict regulations and international cooperation to control the wildlife trade effectively.

Comparing environmental impacts of alien plants, insects and pathogens in protected riparian forests

The prioritization of alien species according to the magnitude of their environmental impacts has become increasingly important for the management of invasive alien species. In this study, we applied the Environmental Impact Classification of Alien Taxa (EICAT) to classify alien taxa from three different taxonomic groups to facilitate the prioritisation of management actions for the threatened riparian forests of the Mura-Drava-Danube Biosphere Reserve, South East Europe. With local experts we collated a list of 198 alien species (115 plants, 45 insects, and 38 fungi) with populations reported in southeast European forest ecosystems and included them in the EICAT. We found impact reports for 114 species. Eleven of these species caused local extinctions of a native species, 35 led to a population decrease, 51 to a reduction in performance in at least one native species and for 17 alien species no effects on individual fitness of native species were detected. Fungi had significantly highest impact and were more likely to have information on their impacts reported. Competition and parasitism were the most important impact mechanisms of alien species. This study is, to our knowledge, the first application of EICAT to all known alien species of several taxonomic groups in a protected area. The impact rankings enabled to identify taxa that generally cause high impacts and to prioritize species for the management in protected areas according to their impact magnitudes. By following a standardized impact protocol, we identified several alien species causing high impacts that do not appear on any expert-based risk list, which are relevant for policymakers. Thus, we recommend that alien species be systematically screened to identify knowledge gaps and prioritize their management with respect to spatio-temporal trends in impact magnitudes.

Predicting the Potential Distribution of Non-Native Mammalian Species Sold in the South African Pet Trade

The pet trade is one of the main pathways of introduction of several mammals worldwide. In South Africa, non-native mammalian species are traded as pets, and so far, only four of these species are considered invasive. We used a list of 24 companion mammalian species compiled from a previous study. We selected a subset of 14 species for species distribution modeling (SDM) based on their trade popularity, invasion history and potential economic and socio-economic impacts. We aimed to estimate their potential distribution using their distribution records. Our SDM indicated that climate in South Africa was suitable for most traded species. However, commonly and easily available species had the broadest areas of suitable climates, such as house mice (Mus musculus) and Norwegian rats (Rattus norvegicus). In addition, the model with a human footprint suggested a high risk of invasion for Norwegian rats but less for house mice distribution. This assessment suggests the need of strict trade regulations and management strategies for pet mammals with broader suitability, which are already invasive, and most available for sale. In addition, our results provide a baseline approach that can be used to identify mammalian pet species with a potential risk of invasion so that urgent preventive measures can be implemented.