title: Development and characterization of 33 novel polymorphic microsatellite markers for the brown tree snake Boiga irregularis.
abstract: BACKGROUND
  Boiga irregularis is a widespread invasive species on Guam and has led to extirpation of most of the island's native avifauna. There are presently no microsatellite markers for this invasive species, hence we developed highly polymorphic microsatellite markers to allow for robust population genetic studies on Guam.
  
  
  RESULTS
  We isolated and characterized 33 microsatellite loci for the brown tree snake, B. irregularis. The loci were screened across 32 individuals from Guam. The number of alleles per locus ranged from three to ten, with an average of 4.62. The expected (He) and observed heterozygosity (Ho) ranged from 0.294 to 0.856 and from 0.031 to 0.813, with an average of 0.648 and 0.524, respectively. Significant deviations from Hardy-Weinberg equilibrium were detected at seven loci after Bonferoni correction. Probability of identity values ranged from 0.043 to 0.539.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  These genetic markers are useful for understanding a suite of post-invasion population genetic parameters, sources of invasions, and effectiveness of management strategies for this invasive species.
authors.affiliation: Savannah River Ecology Laboratory, University of Georgia, Aiken, SC, 29802, USA. cryptobranchus11@gmail.com.
authors.forename: Shem D
authors.initials: SD
authors.lastname: Unger
authors.affiliation: Savannah River Ecology Laboratory, University of Georgia, Aiken, SC, 29802, USA. efabernethy@gmail.com.
authors.forename: Erin F
authors.initials: EF
authors.lastname: Abernethy
authors.affiliation: Savannah River Ecology Laboratory, University of Georgia, Aiken, SC, 29802, USA. lance@srel.uga.edu.
authors.forename: Stacey L
authors.initials: SL
authors.lastname: Lance
authors.affiliation: Savannah River Ecology Laboratory, University of Georgia, Aiken, SC, 29802, USA. rbeasley@srel.uga.edu.
authors.forename: Rochelle R
authors.initials: RR
authors.lastname: Beasley
authors.affiliation: United States Department of Agriculture, Animal and Plant Health Inspection Service, Wildlife Services, National Wildlife Resources Center, Monell Chemical Senses Center, 3500 Market Street, Philadelphia, PA, 19104, USA. bruce.a.kimball@aphis.usda.gov.
authors.forename: Bruce A
authors.initials: BA
authors.lastname: Kimball
authors.affiliation: United States Department of Agriculture, Animal and Plant Health Inspection Service, Wildlife Services, National Wildlife Research Center, P.O. Box 10880, 210 Amau'ulu Road, Hilo, HI, 96720, USA. thomas.w.mcauliffe@aphis.usda.gov.
authors.forename: Thomas W
authors.initials: TW
authors.lastname: McAuliffe
authors.affiliation: Department of Biochemistry and Molecular Genetics, University of Colorado School of Medicine, Aurora, CO, 80045, USA. kenneth.L.Jones@UCDenver.edu.
authors.forename: Kenneth L
authors.initials: KL
authors.lastname: Jones
authors.affiliation: Savannah River Ecology Laboratory, University of Georgia, Aiken, SC, 29802, USA. rhodes@srel.uga.edu.
authors.forename: Olin E
authors.initials: OE
authors.lastname: Rhodes
mesh_terms: D000818:Animals; D005787:Gene Frequency; D005828:Genetics, Population; D005838:Genotype; D006141:Guam; D058865:Introduced Species; D015810:Linkage Disequilibrium; D018895:Microsatellite Repeats / Q000235:genetics*; D016133:Polymerase Chain Reaction; D011110:Polymorphism, Genetic; D017422:Sequence Analysis, DNA; D012911:Snakes / Q000235:genetics*