Wild or captive bred? Stable isotope analysis of shed skins of green tree pythons as forensic evidence for prohibited trade

Abstract

Green tree pythons (Morelia viridis) are highly sought-after Indonesian, Papuan NG, and Australian snakes that are extensively internationally traded as a pet. The trade with wild animals is prohibited because they are subject to the Convention on International Trade in Endangered Species of Flora and Fauna, CITES.

However, there are doubts about the true origin of animals supposedly bred in captivity, because the wild caught animals might be channelled through breeding farms. Now there are very few possibilities of distinguishing wild from captive bred animals.

Thus, we are proposing to develop a new non-invasive method as a tool applicable in wildlife forensics based on multielement stable isotope and trace element analysis combined with a multivariate discriminant analysis on shed skins to distinguish wild from captive bred animals.