Extinction of the Puerto Rican boa could represent a public health risk
Submitted on 2 August 2013 - 6:42pm
This article is reproduced by CienciaPR with permission from the original source.
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By:
Antonio R. Gómez / antonio.gomez@gfrmedia.com
Boas are important for the control of populations of rodents, helping prevent disease.
The Puerto Ricna boa was declared an endangered species in 1970, and although there are specimens in certain regions of Puerto Rico, the species continues to be threatened risking not only its survival but public health. Boas eat rodents, like rats and mice, which can transmit diseases to humans.
The fate of the boa and other endangered species in the Caribbean and Latin American are being discussed this weekend at a conference at the Interamerican University of Puerto Rico in Arecibo.
