Over 1,500 hunters help capture 50 pythons in FL

Associated Press via Miami Herald ^ | February 5, 2013

[PJ-Comix]

MIAMI -- More than 1,500 participants of a monthlong python challenge have helped to capture 50 Burmese pythons in the Florida Everglades.

The Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission updated the counts Tuesday for the "Python Challenge." The competition began Jan. 12 and ends Feb. 10.

The invasive snakes killed in the Everglades are processed and logged by University of Florida researchers who examine each one hoping to learn more about the elusive species.

No one knows for sure how many pythons live in South Florida. Wildlife officials say eradicating pythons from the Everglades was never the goal of the challenge. Instead, they hoped to raise awareness about the snake's threat to native wildlife and the fragile Everglades ecosystem. The snake faces both state and federal bans.

[hinckley buzzard]

You're kidding, these snakes would eat cats like M&Ms. You do know they get to be 30 feet long right?

[yefragetuwrabrumuy]

The trick here will be to find something the snakes eat that alligators do not. As has been done on Guam against brown snakes, acetaminophen (generic Tylenol), is deadly to reptiles (and many other animals), so they stuff dead mice with them and it kills the snakes.

However, lots of animals will eat dead mice.

[hinckley buzzard]

I take it back, they don't get to be 30 feet at least not here. The Florida record is 17 feet plus. It had 80+ eggs in it, about the size of duck eggs. Delightful creature.

[Salamander]

Wow.

I’ve always wondered how thugs and scumbags wound up with killer dogs and snakes.

[Salamander]

Shhhhhh!

[Salamander]

A 5 foot juvenile could eat a cat with no problems.

[Hot Tabasco]

The competition began Jan. 12 and ends Feb. 10.

So why the early end to the competition? One would think they would extend it to at least May and maybe even declare an open season on the damn things and offer a bounty on them..........

But then again I don't work for the government...........

[Rifleman]

You need a canoe, a bill cap, sun screen, a .22 rifle and a couple of pet crows. Oh, and a catch stick like animal control guys use. The crows are to spot the snakes.

[fso301]

What they need is a severe freeze.

[Chode]

i see what you did there...

[Salamander]

;]

[PeterPrinciple]

Wildlife officials say eradicating pythons from the Everglades was never the goal of the challenge. Instead, they hoped to raise awareness about the snake's threat to native wildlife and the fragile Everglades ecosystem.

---

The govt goal is never solving the problem but raising awareness of the problem........................

[onona]

Very Cool !

[bert]

where the snakes live, people can’t penetrate. the vegetationis just too thick

[Irish Queen]

I have a genuine python wallet and purse. On our Alaskan cruise last summer we dined one evening with a husband and wife and seventeen year old son from Florida. When the young man spotted my wallet he thanked me for helping to save the wildlife of the Everglades from non-native pythons. The subject of his high school term paper was how non-native species endangered the eco-systems of Florida. Snake skin is very durable. After almost a year of use neither the purse or wallet show any wear.

[Ruy Dias de Bivar]

***50 Burmese pythons in the Florida Everglades.***

Only fifty? Maybe they should play the music to attract snakes from THE LAIR OF THE WHITE WORM.

http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0095488/?ref_=sr_1

[allendale]

The cats would of course probably lose one on one with a mature python, but they would play havoc with the python’s nests, eggs and very young. Just a thought.

[USFRIENDINVICTORIA]

“Though you have to wonder how they come up with that number.”

I imagine that they use some of the same capture-recapture statistical methods fisheries biologists use to estimate the number of fish in a body of water. Tagging a sample is probably a first step. (My guess would be “tagging” with an RFID insert.)

[knife6375]

"Wildlife officials say eradicating pythons from the Everglades was never the goal of the challenge. Instead, they hoped to raise awareness about the snake's threat to native wildlife and the fragile Everglades ecosystem.

The govt goal is never solving the problem but raising awareness of the problem........................ "

What color ribbon does Everglades Ecosystem Awareness get?

Camo?

[SandRat]

So...did they have a Cook - Off afterwords?