The use of strontium isotopes (87Sr/86Sr) to determine the geographic assignment based on keratin values of shed skins of green pythons (Morelia viridis) as an effective tool against wildlife crime

Result code in IS VaVaI

<a href="https://www.isvavai.cz/riv?ss=detail&h=RIV%2F67985831%3A_____%2F25%3A00640343" target="_blank" >RIV/67985831:_____/25:00640343 - isvavai.cz</a>

Alternative codes found

RIV/61389005:_____/25:00640343 RIV/00216208:11310/25:10507430

Result on the web

<a href="https://resolve.cambridge.org/core/journals/radiocarbon/article/use-of-strontium-isotopes-87sr86sr-to-determine-the-geographic-assignment-based-on-keratin-values-of-shed-skins-of-green-pythons-morelia-viridis-as-an-effective-tool-against-wildlife-crime/46F9627EE1FE7FC9B759C20A8C5FEC91" target="_blank" >https://resolve.cambridge.org/core/journals/radiocarbon/article/use-of-strontium-isotopes-87sr86sr-to-determine-the-geographic-assignment-based-on-keratin-values-of-shed-skins-of-green-pythons-morelia-viridis-as-an-effective-tool-against-wildlife-crime/46F9627EE1FE7FC9B759C20A8C5FEC91</a>

DOI - Digital Object Identifier

<a href="http://dx.doi.org/10.1017/RDC.2025.10119" target="_blank" >10.1017/RDC.2025.10119</a>

Result language

angličtina

Original language name

The use of strontium isotopes (87Sr/86Sr) to determine the geographic assignment based on keratin values of shed skins of green pythons (Morelia viridis) as an effective tool against wildlife crime

Original language description

The green tree python is quite a favorite pet for sale on the international market. The species is therefore protected by the Convention on International Trade in Endangered Species of Wild Flora and Fauna (CITES). Since the illegal poaching of large numbers of specimens in the wild might lead to the detriment of native populations, and wildlife breeding farms were found to be serving as conduits to funnel wild-caught green tree pythons out of Indonesia, a forensic tool to distinguish wild-caught from captive-bred specimens could support the enforcement of CITES protections. To disrupt the illegal trade of green tree pythons, we have developed an effective tool to distinguish the animals supposedly bred in captivity from those caught in the wild, based on the strontium isotope composition in conjunction with trace element data. Like in human hair, 87Sr/86Sr values seem to vary according to the relative contribution of endogenous and exogenous sources. Thus, we infer that if there is enough sustainable strontium available for the analysis, it might be possible to use the 87Sr/86Sr values in parallel with trace elements to distinguish wild-originated specimens from the in captivity-bred ones. Indeed, our pilot study on the shed skins of animals where the geographic origin was either the Czech Republic or Indonesia, confirms that shed skins can be effectively used for further forensic Sr radiogenic isotope analyses.

Czech name

—

Czech description

—

Type

J_imp - Article in a specialist periodical, which is included in the Web of Science database

CEP classification

—

OECD FORD branch

30501 - Forensic science

Project

<a href="/en/project/VJ01010026" target="_blank" >VJ01010026: Effective use of forensic evidence methods to combat wildlife crime</a><br>

Continuities

I - Institucionalni podpora na dlouhodoby koncepcni rozvoj vyzkumne organizace

Publication year

2025

Confidentiality

S - Úplné a pravdivé údaje o projektu nepodléhají ochraně podle zvláštních právních předpisů

Name of the periodical

Radiocarbon

ISSN

0033-8222

e-ISSN

1945-5755

Volume of the periodical

67

Issue of the periodical within the volume

5

Country of publishing house

GB - UNITED KINGDOM

Number of pages

9

Pages from-to

965-973

UT code for WoS article

001587776300001

EID of the result in the Scopus database

2-s2.0-105018774060