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Pythons in Florida
- Thread starter Dr. Cheese
- Start date
The snake killed an alligator that was too big for it to eat, and the python burst open killing itself when it tried to swallow it.
There has been speculation that the Burm was injured during the battle, and the pressure of the gator inside split open the wound; an uninjured snake of that size should have been able to manage that prey. Snakes don't just burst like that - if they injest something too large for them, they simply puke it back out
There has been speculation that the Burm was injured during the battle, and the pressure of the gator inside split open the wound; an uninjured snake of that size should have been able to manage that prey. Snakes don't just burst like that - if they injest something too large for them, they simply puke it back out
Seems like a gator might be hard to just puke back out. I have never eaten one that big though.
Seems like a gator might be hard to just puke back out. I have never eaten one that big though.
lol
Excellent point
Crispy, are there snakes in Canada? I might have to look into moving if they come this way. Personally, I hate snakes. I don't freak out, but I do get the hell out of the area. This population boom worries me, and I wonder how long it will be before it's a real problem in Florida.
It is a real problem right now! Wildlife rangers estimate that there are at least 100,000 pythons in the Everglades, and they are moving throughout the state.
BTW, snakes are not the only invasive species giving Florida problems. They also have suffered from the Marine Toad (imagine a Bullfrog on land), and monkeys in some areas. A more mellow invasive species in the Iguana.
Right, but I can tolerate toads and monkeys. Snakes, not at all. What measures can be taken to try and regulate the population? You can't just kill them, the SPCA would be all over it.
I think they are probably too numerous to wipe out. It is a population that should be aggressively managed, but I suspect this is just one more case of humans unintentially altering their environment.
This is a report on Florida Burmese Pythons from the University of Florida:http://edis.ifas.ufl.edu/UW286
Yup. As a South Florida native, I'm all too familiar with the fools who say "Oh gee, wouldn't it be cool to have an exotic pet?" and then buy one without doing any research. The majority ultimately can't handle ithem, so they release them into the wild without a thought.
And the damaged pet stores played a part, but they were mostly catering to the same dopes. Then again, South Florida's history is one of overdevelopment, payoffs and not giving a rat's ass about the environment. /rant
As a Florida resident I can assure you, when the time comes, they will open a hunting season on pythons and within 6 months 50% of them will be on their way to the nearest boot factory.
That's pure swamp gold right there.
YeHAW! Looky here Bubba! Come get ya some!
That's pure swamp gold right there.
YeHAW! Looky here Bubba! Come get ya some!
It is a real problem right now! Wildlife rangers estimate that there are at least 100,000 pythons in the Everglades, and they are moving throughout the state.
BTW, snakes are not the only invasive species giving Florida problems. They also have suffered from the Marine Toad (imagine a Bullfrog on land), and monkeys in some areas. A more mellow invasive species in the Iguana.
People tend to over-look those because they don't seem to induce the same paranoia that snakes do. Besides the species you listed there are also countless amounts of invasive plants here in Florida that are also having effects on the ecosystem because many of them choke off the native plant life. Couple that with the other animals that don't belong and its a quick recipe for destruction of our ecosystem here.
I love snakes and reptiles too. There is a part of me that thinks it is neat to have pythons in the USA, but I know it is bad for our ecosystem. As a native Southerner who loves the swamplands, I don't want to see them destroyed.
I feel the same way and think its kinda neat to have pythons here too. But I'd rather not see whats left of the everglades and native ecosystem here ruined. Its bad enough that there is an estimated population of less than 100 Florida panthers left in the state. Don't need invasive species killing off any more of the endangered species.
The first and best step IMO to managing the population control would be to ban the sale of these and similar species of snakes.
Another good idea would be to do something like what is done in San Antonio Florida. They have the Rattlesnake Festival there. People go around and just hunt them down. Then use them as food, make belts, boots, etc. Though most of the snakes are actually brought in for that, it could actually work well in South Florida where the population of pythons are booming.
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I see the governor has approved a python hunt. It seems to be rather modest in its goals. The article also mentions the need to regulate the importation of exotic snakes too.
I see the governor has approved a python hunt. It seems to be rather modest in its goals. The article also mentions the need to regulate the importation of exotic snakes too.
Thanks for a very interesting topic, Dr. Cheese.
I think Alligators have made a bit of a come back since I was a kid, and are getting over-populated. White-tail deer are over-populated too. Maybe these things will introduce some sort of balance instead of destroying the ecosystem. Just a thought.
I for one don't like knowing they are out there growing in numbers. Alligators are normally not aggressive towards people, these Pythons seem very aggressive.
Armadillos and Coyotes were the story a few years ago, now they are everywhere, while species like raccoons and possums are getting rarer to see, IMO.
I think Alligators have made a bit of a come back since I was a kid, and are getting over-populated. White-tail deer are over-populated too. Maybe these things will introduce some sort of balance instead of destroying the ecosystem. Just a thought.
I for one don't like knowing they are out there growing in numbers. Alligators are normally not aggressive towards people, these Pythons seem very aggressive.
Armadillos and Coyotes were the story a few years ago, now they are everywhere, while species like raccoons and possums are getting rarer to see, IMO.
Alligators have made a big comeback. I see them all the time now when I go to fresh water lakes, where as in the 80's I could count the amount of times I saw them on one hand.
That is an interesting perspective. Remember, only older, large snakes will eat deer and alligators. Most will will be eating smaller mammals and birds.
Good point on the sizes of the snakes. I'd imagine that the snakes all vary in size. So realistically, wouldn't they have to start tagging and monitoring most all the mammals and birds to effectively determine how drastically their populations are being effected?
One thing I forgot to mention in an earlier post for trying to control the snake population would also be to introduce native birds of prey that eat snakes, like eagles, hawks, etc, and other native snakes that eat snakes as the staple of their diet. It won't be effective against the large snakes, but it could help to at least keep the numbers in some sort of balance because they'd pick off the smaller and medium sized ones.
Heres another interesting article pertaining to the topic.
http://www.cnn.com/2004/TECH/science/10/22/predators.in.paradise/index.html
I think an open python season is a great idea. Wait until they eat a few children & it will happen.
I'm pretty sure Florida already has lots of eagles and hawks. The problem is that no bird is going to take out a 50-150 lb. snake. That just too big for a bird that is maybe 10 or 15 lbs. at best itself.
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I see the governor has approved a python hunt. It seems to be rather modest in its goals. The article also mentions the need to regulate the importation of exotic snakes too.
I just heard that on the news this morning. I'm really amazed that all of these snakes have bred this fast.
What about the rattlesnake population?
(Taken near Orlando by an FPL employee)[Invalid or Expired Link Removed]
