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Wildlife officials believe the new python population started because of snakes that were released or escaped from captivity
NEED TO KNOW
- Burmese pythons have been discovered in Charlotte County, Florida, well beyond the invasive species epicenter in the Everglades
- The non-venomous snake species disrupts ecosystems by preying on native animals and dominating the food chain
- The Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission believes the newly discovered python population is the result of escaped or released pythons, not existing pythons migrating to the area
Burmese pythons are spreading across South Florida.
The invasive snake species has been appearing in Everglades National Park and the surrounding areas for years, according to the Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission (FWC).
The non-venomous constrictor snakes — native to Southeast Asia — likely entered the South Florida wild as a result of the exotic pet trade, with more pythons released into the Everglades in 1992 after Hurricane Andrew allegedly destroyed a facility holding captive pythons, according to CBS News.
“Historically, the python population was centered within Everglades National Park in Miami-Dade County. Burmese pythons are currently considered established from just south of Lake Okeechobee to Key Largo and from western Broward County west to Collier County,” the FWC shared on its website, adding that any Burmese pythons outside of that range are typically believed to be single pets that have been released or escaped from captivity — until now.
In a report published July 11, an FWC spokesperson told ABC News that a new Burmese python hotspot has emerged in a portion of Charlotte County — north of Naples and Fort Myers.
The FWC works to investigate reports of python sightings outside the Everglades area and releases information “as it is confirmed,” per its site. But it’s not an easy task: “Due to the cryptic nature of pythons, it can take a while to gather enough evidence to confirm new areas of establishment,” the FWC stated.
The new satellite population of Burmese pythons found in Charlotte County is likely to disrupt more ecosystems, ABC reported. As large animals and apex predators, Burmese pythons have very few threats beyond human hunters, per the FWC, leaving them free to prey on native species and consume their resources.
Robert McCleery, a wildlife ecologist at the University of Florida, told ABC that the presence of these pythons in new areas tends to result in a “simplified ecosystem,” with invasive species at the top of the food chain.
“This is a pattern we have not yet found a way to stop or reverse at the scales needed to address the problem,” McCleery said.
At present, the FWC believes the new hotspot is the result of pythons being freed from captivity or escaping, as there’s no evidence to indicate that Burmese pythons near the Everglades had migrated to Charlotte County, per ABC.
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In Florida, it’s illegal to keep Burmese pythons as pets, but individuals who are unable to care for or no longer wish to keep the python can surrender them without consequence. This program, called the Exotic Pet Amnesty Program, works to decrease the number of nonnative species in nature. In another effort to curb the invasive species, Florida hosts an annual python challenge, where hunters can sign up to humanely kill the reptiles to stop the species’ spread throughout the state.
Read the original article on People
