Weerachon Sawangproh, Round, Philip D., Pilai Poonswad (2012). Asian openbill stork Anastomus oscitans as a predator of the invasive alien gastropod Pomacea canaliculata in Thailand. Retrieved from: https://repository.li.mahidol.ac.th/handle/123456789/21935
Title
Asian openbill stork Anastomus oscitans as a predator of the invasive alien gastropod Pomacea canaliculata in Thailand
The freshwater golden apple snail Pomacea canaliculata, native to South and Central
America, and the West Indies, is now a major agricultural pest in Thailand paddy fields.
There is anecdotal evidence that the Asian openbill Anastomus oscitans consumes these
snails, but no reports on its predation efficiency. Our study showed that the number of
storks visiting the fields correlated with a decrease in snail abundance (rs= 0.902, p=
0.0001). Storks are tactile predators and preferred adult snails. This is probably more profitable
for the birds, but keeps the P. canaliculata population ‘sustainable’.
Description
The 6th Congress of the European Malacological Societies (CEMS). (2012).Vitoria-Gasteiz, Spain.
