Conservation Genomics of Hong Kong Snakes
Science supporting conservation
Genetic diversity is critical for viability and adaptability of populations. Hong Kong (HK) has a diverse snake fauna but nothing is known about their viability or adaptability. Nine of these species are on the IUCN Red List recognized as VU, NT or CR whereas several are data deficient.
We will assess genetic diversity of 11 species of HK snakes to (1) reconstruct their demographic histories with particular focus on the past 200 years, and (2) investigate whether their populations can be considered to be viable by estimating their current effective population sizes (Ne) and meet the criteria Ne > 50/500 needed to ensure their short- and long-term viability, respectively. We will also (3) estimate the levels of inbreeding and (4) loads deletrious mutations for of these species.
The results will inform us about the history and viability of the HK snakes and establish a baseline for their future genetic monitoring and conservation.
Be a part of the fieldwork
The power of science has increased by orders of magnitude in recent years with the development of tools for citizen science as well as self learning forums and networking platforms to help more easily transition interested parties into engaging with wildlife in the field. If you are interested in supporting the project by engaging in fieldwork or otherwise responsibly contributing to genetic sampling, click the button below.
Make a donation
We understand not everyone who wants to help is able to join jungle excursions or wrangle venomous snakes. For those in this category, making a small donation to the project helps increase our resources and as a result, improve the scope and quality of the work produced. If you are interested, click the button below.
Media Support
If you are in media, or have relevant connections to help spread the word about this exciting project we would love to hear from you. Click the button below or see the contact options in the footer to reach us.