Posted on 06/24/2009 11:15:55 AM PDT by JoeProBono
Gainseville, Fla.,---- Burmese pythons are multiplying rapidly in the Everglades and moving north in Florida, a University of Florida researcher says.
Frank Mazzoti said the pythons can live anywhere alligators can, which would include all of Florida and swamp areas in Georgia and Louisiana, Science Daily reported.
"People might argue the ultimate boundaries, but there's no part of this state that you can point at and say that pythons couldn't live here," he said. "We really need to be addressing the spread of these pythons. They're capable of surviving anywhere in Florida, they're capable of incredible movement -- and in a relatively short period."
Burmese pythons are popular pets in spite of being one of the world's largest snakes. They became established in the Everglades when owners released them as they became too big to handle, and one biologist estimates there are now 30,000 to 100,000 in the Everglades National Park
Mazzotti said the snakes are difficult to eliminate because females can continue to produce young years after a mating.
Since they aren’t a native species they are a pest. No season on them, harvest them anytime.
OMG! What an awesome pic! I never realized they got that long!
Sorry gemsbok, the only thing that comes to mind is “Ugh!”
Mrs. Taxman and I camped for a week in Flamingo campground this past March. I went snake hunting. Just kidding, but I was on the lookout for those bad boys — didn’t see any.
HST, in conversations with various people in the Everglades NP, including Park Rangers, they admit they are a problem, but there seems to be no serious attempt to eliminate them.
In fact, they do not allow firearms in the Everglades — even the tour boat captains cannot carry a shotgun to whack one of these snakes when they see them (and they do see them, FRom time to time).
What they have to do is tell a Ranger where they saw the snake and then the Ranger will go out and attempt to capture the snake — they can’t killem either!
Oddly enough, just before our trip, I saw a short piece on the news about South Florida communities giving classes to water meter, gas meter and post office workers about capturing these snakes. You will never convince me to try to capture a 20 foot snake!
One man I talked to, a long-time volunteer in the Park, made the best suggestion I have heard — start selling Python meat in restaurants and grocery stores. IOW, create a market for the meat, issue hunting licenses, and very shortly thereafter there will be a shortage of Python meat. Makes sense to me!
FRankly, if I ever see one of the damn things, it is dead, right now! CCW works on snakes as well as other varmits!
Good point. Maybe they should put a bounty on their heads.
it happened:
above. just heard in local news.
This is a .pet. 12' Burmese python that escaped from its glass aquarium (how big was the aquarium?) and killed the 2 yr old in the household.
Underscoring the problem pythons in the wild may pose to humans, especially smaller ones is this list of other deaths from pet pythons in US (not sure how complete it is): "man-eating" snakes
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