Florida's problem with pythons

[casey15]

okay so everyone knows about the burmese python issue in the everglades, since a cold spell wiped a lot of them out some people think the problems over. It's not. Florida has practically no regulations on purchasing those snakes, snakes are sold to owners who have no idea how large they will get and are unprepared to care for them. When the snake gets to big, the person lets it go in the everglades. Having no natural predators there, the snakes thrive, breed and spread out. They cause huge effects on wildlife. Look at this article.

http://www.csmonitor.com/USA/2012/0131/Snakes-in-the-grass-Is-the-Burmese-Python-wiping-out-Everglades-mammals

Basically in area's with snakes small mammal night life has decreased by almost 90%!

People keep buying and releasing these snakes, who breed and make more. Even with efforts being made to remove the snakes, it's just not possible to get them all out. It's going to be a never ending cycle unless Florida gets more strict about sale of these snakes.

Don't get me wrong I salute the efforts of Nature Conservation centers but realistically the cycle is not going to end.

Maybe if people did research before getting such a large snake...
Just on my mind, I know its not a new issue.

 

[chelvis]

Really the problem did not stem from people releasing their pet large snakes, by the time they get too large for most people they are easy prey for things like coyotes and hawks and even gators. Released pets hardy make up a population suitable to survive in the glads. Most of these are probably the descendants of those released years back when hurricane Andrew knocked a reptile facility and released hundreds of young pythons.

I am not saying that large snakes should not be monitored when it comes to ownership many heart achs have occurred because of them. The problem becomes how do you regulate it? Permits, but then who enforces it? Where does the money to enforce it come from? What are the qualifications and how who determines them?

Really a simpler way would to ban the import of them. There are great captive breed pythons now that would have a hard time making it in the wild. The command a higher price and would really make only serious hobbiest think twice before buying one. There is a low in place to make it illegal to transport large snakes across state lines, but all this does is drive the whole thing underground.

Anyway this topic is like beating a dead horse, the everglades are messed up not just because of pythons; there are many invasive species that have had their hand in the slow but steady decline of one of the USA's most biological ecosystem. From plecos destroying levees, caimans out competing crocs, nile monitors eating native bird eggs, talapia pushing out native fish... this are the ones off the top of my head I am sure there are a lot more. The large snakes get a bad rap because they are a threat that people are unsure what to do with. I think we'll see that the predictions that were thrown around 5 years ago of pythons moving north to the pan handle will not come true and they most likely will assimilate to the natural environment.

 

[james.w]

Do a bit more research. There are regulations on large constructors in Florida and also throughout the US. The original problem stems from Hurricane Andrew (pretty sure thats the one) destroying a facility like chelvis said.

 

[chelvis]

I just want to clarify that I am not saying the pythons in the everglads are not an issue. I just personally think its been blown up out of paportion and the steps that have been taken to fix it are not the best solution.

 

[Dana C]

I for one am all for the import ban. Making a large python geometrically more expensive via captive breeding will discourage buyers that acquire one for the "cool factor" and will make people think twice about turning them loose.
I can't speak to the Everglades and Southern Florida issue with them and other non-native species as I am not there and find it impossible to form an informed opinion based upon reality TV and media hysteria. I get the sense however that it is a real problem.

 

[laurarfl]

I live in FL, I own a Burm. You have not been able to purchase Burms as pets for almost two years now. I have a FWC conditional species permit to own one. A lot of false info has been circulated, including the fact that mammal counts have decreased by 90%. In fact, recent studies have shown that alligators in the Glades have been limiting the python population. Of course they have natural predators. While they are an exotic species and do not have a natural apex predator here in FL that would normally consume a 15ft snake, many wild birds, mammals, and reptiles feed on the eggs and young.