Burmese Python Giant pythons capable of swallowing a dog and even an alligator are rapidly making south Florida their home, potentially threatening other southeastern states, according to a new study
Posted on 05/17/2008 6:57:30 PM PDT by restornu
Giant pythons capable of swallowing a dog and even an alligator are rapidly making south Florida their home, potentially threatening other southeastern states, a study said.
"Pythons are likely to colonize anywhere alligators live, including north Florida, Georgia and Louisiana," said Frank Mazzotti, University of Florida Institute of Food and Agricultural Sciences professor, in his two-year study.
The pythons thriving in Florida are mostly Burmese pythons from Myanmar that were brought over as pets and then turned loose in the wild.
From 2002-2005, 201 of the beasts were caught by state authorities, but in the last two years the number has more than doubled to 418, Mazzotti said in his study published on the university Web site.
The largest python caught so far in Florida measured 16.4 feet and weighed 154 pounds.
Mazzotti said the serpents, despite their awesome size, are not poisonous, but are excellent swimmers and able to cover great distances in little time. Some, trapped and released with radio transmitters, swam 37 miles in a few hours.
Highly adaptable, pythons prey on cats, dogs, hares, foxes, squirrels, raccoons and even alligators, allowing them to thrive in a variety of environments.
After populating the Florida Everglades -- a vast marshland -- ,b>where it is estimated they number 30,000, the giant python is now spreading across the rest of the peninsula.
"Females may store sperm, so they can produce fertile clutches for years. And a 100-something pound snake can easily be producing 60, 80 eggs a year," said Mazzotti, adding that the reptile could eventually populate the entire southern United States.
BUT if i was there, the pythons would be "in serious danger" from my crossbow!!! my new deep freeze is nearly empty, awaiting deer season to open 9/15/08!!!
free dixie,sw
I guess they will have to introduce anacondas to florida to keep the pythons in check.
hehe
Asps.
Very dangerous.
YOU go first.....
The best part is that, as exotics, there is no protection for them. Of course, with 30,000 of them already in the wild we aren't going to run out anytime soon.
Must agree. I am not really fond of snakes, but living on a bayou in Louisiana, I have come to certain agreements with the critters. If you are not poisonous and not doing anything threatening, you may live and go about your business. We have a very large king snake that lives in our equipment shed that abides by the rule.
If you are poisonous and threatening, you may meet your maker. Copperheads are very beautiful creatures and I do make extra effort to spare them.
The thought of the water on our property containing 16-foot pythons is just more than I want to imagine. The gators are bad enough, but tend to be rather shy unless you happen upon one and startle him/her.
What is PETA going to say about this?! Advocate killing large snakes, or to say that the Burmese pythons have the perfect right to eat any other animal they want? We need to get Al Gore involved in this; it must be another part of global warming because everything else is - and with any luck one of the pythons might eat Al.
We have a bunch of stupid people in this world.
Pythons are not meant to be pets.
Oh my goodness. I hope it was in a cage or sumpthin’.
This is ridiculous: as soon as some good ol’ boys in North Florida find out spotted python tastes like chicken, the species won’t have a chance!
Libtard media used a pic of a Boa constrictor
Giant Pythons could yield a lot of tasty meat for a clever Chinese cook.
_____________________________
Snake Meat Shreds Soup
Chinese Soup!
150g done snake meat
egg shreds
pork shreds
dried mushroom shreds
white fungus shreds
dried longan pulp
dried orange peel grains
delicious soup
dark soy
rice wine
salt
sugar
pepper
gourmet powder
watered starch
chive oil
sesame oil
1. Clean the killed snake. Put it in boiling water, then add chives, ginger, wine, and stew for half an hour. Take the meat and tear it into shreds. Steam them together with the chives, ginger, wine, and delicous soup for 2 hours.
2. Put the snake meat shreds and the seasonings in 1000g delicious soup in a pot. Braise them to boiling and then take away the foam. Add gourmet powder, watered starch to make paste. Pour in chive oil, sesame oil and place them in a casserole together with crisp chips, chive shreds, ginger shreds, fruit peel shreds, white chrysanthemum, and other seasonings.
Click on Shanghai on Internet for more great Chinese Recipes!
I thought this was another apocalyptic global warming thread.
otoh, where would you find a python BIG enough to swallow FAT AL.
free dixie,sw
No the giant monster was sleeping in the ladies restroom of an art supply store in Santa Fe NM. It was the store owners pet and it’s cage was being cleaned. The RR door wasn’t locked but there was a sign that said OUT OF ORDER. All I wanted to do was wash my hands so naturally I ignored the sign. I almost had a heart attack. Who would expect something like that in the ladies room?
free dixie,sw
“gourmet powder” Is that another name for MSG?
You have to wonder what kind of gibbering idiot a) wants these things for pets and b) thinks it would be a smart idea to turn them loose after their little pea brains get tired of their "pets."
One more example of why ignorance is a moral issue.
Before the pythons, all the woodland creatures out there were sweet little things.
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