Burmese Pythons in Florida

[DawnCt1]

Within the last week I have heard two stories that involved Burmese pythons in Florida. The first was in regard to the death of a python as it attempted to eat an alligator. The last one, very sad actually, was about the death of a pet Siamese cat that was eaten by a python. Burmese pythons are an invasive species and apparently have been multiplying from discarded pets. Hopefully, the alligator population will have some effect in stemming the growth, but this has to be a big concern for the existing wildlife, birds, pets and children. Why people "discard" pets that they no longer want has always been a mystery to me, particularly snakes. What makes snake owners who don't want their snakes, think that the rest of us do?

 

[Charade]

Anytime a species gets introduced into an environment where there are no natural predators to keep them in check, this is what you get.

Heck, just look at humans!!

 

[ChristmasElf]

There have been snake owners that have been justsetting their pythons free here when they get to be too large for them to handle. This has been an ongoing problem in the Everglades for years and up until a few days ago, it was thought the alligators would be more likely to get the snake rather than the other way around.

 

['Canes Fan]

they've adapted well to life in the 'glades. to the point they are attacking the one animal that has no predators... alligators. they've captured over 150 pythons in the last 2 years alone. so imagine how many are out there. what happens to the rest of the wildlife in the ecosystem is something we'll see. there are a lot of big animals living in there, otters, deer, hogs. big enough to fuel pythons to 13 feet long +.

 

[Talking Hands]

Since I live rather close to the Everglades this is a concern for me. Many people release pets when they no longer want or can handle them. They don't realize or don't care what this does to the balance of the enviroment. The guy from Pesky Critters down here gets calls all the time from people who see them in the neighborhood and are terrified of them. Doen't seem to matter what the laws are made this continues to happen in south Florida.

 

[2BigKIdz]

We watched a documentary about this awhile back. The park rangers have also seen anacondas in the everglades. Why on earth would anyone bring an anaconda to the US as a pet?

 

[Aidensmom]

Why do people release them? There are plenty of zoos that will take them.

I would not be happy to find someone's discarded python near my home, that is for sure.

 

['Canes Fan]

I've seen 15 foot long pythons curled up in zoos and Busch Gardens. I don't like the fact they are attacking (and killing) 6 foot alligators in the months the alligators are active and hunting. that's freaky. I've kayaked solo in the glades before and it is awesome. I'm doubting I'll be doing it again without some kind of firepower.

 

[Charade]

[QUOTE='Canes Fan]I've kayaked solo in the glades before and it is awesome. I'm doubting I'll be doing it again without some kind of firepower.[/QUOTE]

Good thing they just passed that new gun law!!!

 

['Canes Fan]

well, that gives me the right to shoot them. in the past, I just carried a sharp machete'.

 

[crazee4mickey]

I saw the one on CNN the other day that tried to eat alligator and burst
http://www.cnn.com/2005/US/10/05/gater.python.ap/index.html ---that is so nasty!
I was shocked that people actually do this! I just can't believe people just release these dangerous creatures into the wild and don't think about the impact they will have on the environment or humans who live in the areas
People do that with cats ana dogs here all the time--cute when they're little but then they grow up so they "dump" them to fend for themselves---didn't realize they would do that with reptiles too! Love animals but I'd be carrying a big gun if I lived in an area like this with enormous snakes just slithering free

 

[kilee]

So many people don't think. I'm going to have to see if I can find the news link. However, 2 summers ago we had an alligator in a park pond here. Now I live in the Buffalo NY area. Alligators are not native to our area. It was definetly thought that someone tried having it as a pet and then set it free. It was something like 4 feet long. The thing is it could of been very dangerous. Kids in that area would of never of been looking for something like that when in the water.

 

[DawnCt1]

I don't know if its an urban legend or fact, but I have heard that for years, only male pirhanas were allowed in the USA as pets. Why we would have them anyway, is beyond me. Perhaps the entire USA should follow Hawaii's lead, and not let anything in that doesn't belong there. They have no poisonous snakes in Hawaii, no rabies but of course, plenty of plants that should never have been brought in.

 

[eeyore kelly]

As someone who has an extreme snake phobia (can't look at a picture of a cartoon snake), I find this act of setting snakes free in the wild totally wrong. I think anyone caught doing it, should be sentanced to death by snake ingestion.

 

[Ted and Holly]

Why do people release them? There are plenty of zoos that will take them.

I would not be happy to find someone's discarded python near my home, that is for sure.

You will find that most zoos and public aquariums (for fish) do not accept pets from people.

Ted

 

[Twinkles6892]

As someone who has an extreme snake phobia (can't look at a picture of a cartoon snake), I find this act of setting snakes free in the wild totally wrong. I think anyone caught doing it, should be sentanced to death by snake ingestion.

Yep, cried the other day in Biology because we went out in the woods and the boys found a snake.

As if the alligators at Disney aren't bad enough, now I have to worry about snakes

 

[Ted and Holly]

I don't know if its an urban legend or fact, but I have heard that for years, only male pirhanas were allowed in the USA as pets. Why we would have them anyway, is beyond me. Perhaps the entire USA should follow Hawaii's lead, and not let anything in that doesn't belong there. They have no poisonous snakes in Hawaii, no rabies but of course, plenty of plants that should never have been brought in.

That is niot true. Piranhas (and most fish) are regulated on a state level. Many states have no restrictions on piranhas at all. Many southern and warmer states do not allow them at all. And the reason is exactly what this thread is about.

In Hawaii, there are a lot of introduced freshwater (and marine) fish. There is a pretty decent push to help minimize the introduction of exotic plants and animals. Especially the brown tree snake. If these invade Hawaii, the bird population will be severely impacted.

Ted

 

['Canes Fan]

florida ranks number 2 right behind hawaii in numbers of invasive species. we were fishing near boca grande a few weeks ago and an iguana swam right by the boat. they swim in the gulf and then climb up on a rock to warm up. and the little lizards you see (anodes) are native if they're brown. the green anodes are another invasive species. the poisonous lionfish is now residing in our waters. they were dumped from aquariums and they've adapted. our climate allows invasive species to thrive.

 

[Ted and Holly]

[QUOTE='Canes Fan]florida ranks number 2 right behind hawaii in numbers of invasive species. we were fishing near boca grande a few weeks ago and an iguana swam right by the boat. they swim in the gulf and then climb up on a rock to warm up. and the little lizards you see (anodes) are native if they're brown. the green anodes are another invasive species. the poisonous lionfish is now residing in our waters. they were dumped from aquariums and they've adapted. our climate allows invasive species to thrive.[/QUOTE]

I almost ran over an iguana in Key Largo this weekend.

Correction, the green anoles are the native ones. The few species of brown and gray anoles are introduced. Mostly from Cub a.

Ted

 

['Canes Fan]

I almost ran over an iguana in Key Largo this weekend.

Correction, the green anoles are the native ones. The few species of brown and gray anoles are introduced. Mostly from Cub a.

Ted

my bad. the brown ones are the only I see anymore.