Reticulated pythons and other constrictors are spreading in the U.S. more quickly than expected and threaten local wildlife.
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Brought to the U.S. as pets, Burmese pythons have made headlines with their uncontrolled spread in the Florida Everglades and willingness to challenge alligators for the position of top predator. A report released by the U.S. Geological Survey last fall delivered more bad news: two other constrictor species, also former pets, are thriving in the area, and six others could pose similar threats. Researchers fear that reproductive populations could spread and eat native animals into extinction.
The new interlopers—northern and southern African pythons, reticulated pythons, boa constrictors and four species of anacondas—have “ecological similarities,” explains Robert Reed, a USGS biologist and one of the authors of the report. “They are large invasive predators that native birds and mammals aren’t adapted to, and they are highly fecund, capable of producing up to 100 hatchlings in one nest.” They’re also big; some grow up to 20 feet and 200 pounds. They seize prey with their teeth and then wrap around the prey’s body, squeezing it to death.
Biologists first noticed the slithering invasion in the late 1990s. Snake numbers have risen dramatically: in 2000 two Burmese pythons were captured in the Everglades National Park; in 2008 the number captured hit 343. Biologists believe that tens of thousands now live in the park. Other constrictors have begun appearing beyond the Everglades: boa constrictors south of Miami and African pythons just west of the city.
Cryptic by nature, constrictors are extremely difficult to capture. “We know how they move and what they look like,” says USGS biologist Kristen Hart. “We had a radio-tagged snake in a fenced-off area the other day, right in the middle of six of us, and yet we couldn’t even see it. They are often underground or underwater or in a tree. They blend in so well here in the Everglades.”
When they move, however, they can move far. Relocated pythons have demonstrated a homing ability, returning up to 48 miles to the place where they were captured. Biologists worry that the reptiles may populate the Florida Keys, perhaps by riding on floating logs or even swimming the distance.
Without native predators, the snakes could really thrive. In fact, Burmese pythons may do better in Florida than in their home ranges in Southeast Asia, where jackals, monitor lizards, disease and parasites limit their numbers. “By the time they reach two years of age, not much can eat them in the Everglades,” Hart states. She describes one python she captured that “threw up four feet of an alligator.” Although biologists have recovered 10 alligators in python stomachs, for the most part the constrictors prey on small mammals and birds.
This predilection concerns Dave Hallac, chief of biological resources for the Everglades and Dry Tortugas. “We are going through this comprehensive restoration program here in the Everglades, trying to restore a number of wading and water-dependent birds, yet at the same time we have this big new predator in our midst.” Hallac and others do not want a repeat of what happened on the American island of Guam. There the nonnative brown tree snake invaded shortly after World War II and devastated native wildlife. Since the snake’s arrival, most likely as stowaways on cargo vessels, Guam has lost 10 of its 12 native forest bird species, most of its bats and about half of its lizards.
Given the number of constrictors imported to the U.S. as pets—Reed pegs the figure at just under one million—some species appear poised to take up permanent residence. (Florida law stipulates jail terms up to one year for anyone releasing a pet constrictor, which can grow from a 20- inch-long juvenile to an eight-foot-long monster in a year.) Still, wildlife biologists hope to keep the invasion contained. Although much of the southern U.S. offers a hospitable climate, the availability of prey, habitat and other factors will affect the snakes’ success.
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27 Comments
Add CommentHey Tennesen, this is Mark Ross in Oakland. EQM... remember? I was shocked to see your byline at the end of the article. My email is agtmarkr@aol.com. I used to have a boa constrictor... mellow as a cello. I suspect the recent cold snap in Florida winnowed down the herd. I've a friend in Cape Coral on the Gulf Coast... it was brutal.
Reply | Report Abuse | Link to thisThose snakes are not immortal, they can be killed. Offer people fifty dollars for every dead one they bring into DNR. Use the stimulus money...you are creating jobs.
Reply | Report Abuse | Link to thisI saw a TV program about this. They interviewed some State or Federal park rangers who mainly talked about how cute the snakes are. This might be a part of the problem.
Reply | Report Abuse | Link to thisI second the "bounty" proposition. It really stimulates the economy on several levels, as the skins can then be tanned and resold to leather crafters and clothing makers. If the price of local skins was half that of imported ones, it would be a new way to keep our money local. Besides, what exotic restaurant wouldn't be willing to serve python on the menu?
Reply | Report Abuse | Link to thisThis can be a real money making opportunity, from the hides to guided hunts for outsiders, there is money to be made in the midst of chaos!
Why not spread the rumor that python meat is an aphrodisiac? Such rumors have driven other creatures to near extinction.
Reply | Report Abuse | Link to thisWhat about all of the native snakes that are killed because they were not properly identified? The hunting program would REALLY need to to be coupled with an education component. Even then...
Reply | Report Abuse | Link to this"Without native predators..." Hello, we humans can and do eat just about anything that doesn't eat us first. As others have mentioned, a bounty will work just like it has on many other animals.
Reply | Report Abuse | Link to thisAs far as identification goes. If you're not sure, don't kill anything under ten feet. There are no snakes native to North America that grow larger than ten feet normally (snakes living near nuclear reactors may be an exception).
I read somewhere that allowing hunters to pursue these repyiles was against the law because they were in a "national park/sanctuary. This is something that should be alleviated by congress given the threatrning nature that they impose. There's "no excuse" to not allow professional hunting of these reptiles to bring them under control and/or erradicate them all together and then impose hefty fines against anyone caught releasing anymore as well as stopping all imports of them.
Reply | Report Abuse | Link to thisWe can't even get rid of the wild boar populations riddling our country.
Reply | Report Abuse | Link to thisPythons will definitely upset the balance of the everglades. Alligators, which have been around since the age of dinosaurs, are now threatened. It's also threatening to the quality of life for humans. It's poised to only get worse unless swift preventative measures and implemented now.
Reply | Report Abuse | Link to thisTwitter @JohnBergdoll
Does Scientific American, make it a regular basis for picking a choosing what scientic theories it publishes. Do you guys no the differences in fact, fiction, theory, hypothesis, you do nothing but contribute to the media giving one sided observation instead of putting all the facts out there.
Reply | Report Abuse | Link to thisTake boa constrictors for instances, they live in mexico and further south. which is part of the americas. They have lived there for thousands of years why then if they "could" live here in the the lower 1/3rd portion of the U.S. are none at all native to california, New mexico or texas.
Man you people are no different then the screwed up government.
It is simple..ban the importation and keeping of such creatures and make it a serious and enforceable criminal act to release those that are still owned. Offer a substantial bounty on them in the Everglades using traps not guns so as to not create a war zone with people getting killed in the bounty mania that would result. Make the bounty substantial, make the traps free on loan. Oh by the way, don't forget the Asian Carp and what is happening with that aggressive species. It is nearly too late so get moving...Time for the Feds to act on these two invasions.
Reply | Report Abuse | Link to thisI have to say that I am appalled at the blatant use of sensationalistic journalism in this article. For a magazine that goes by the name "Scientific American", this is awfully skewed. This should be evident even to folks with no knowledge of these animals. Two examples:
Reply | Report Abuse | Link to this"Note: This story was originally printed with the title 'Python Boom'". It's now called "Python Predation". Predation; VERY scary! "Boom" just didn't generate enough attention, I surmise.
The second example is given twice, once as the subtitle of the article which states:
"Pet constrictors released into the wild are adapting to areas beyond the Florida Everglades"
The other is a photo caption:
"Reticulated pythons and other constrictors are spreading in the U.S. more quickly than expected and threaten local wildlife."
By "beyond the Everglades" and "spreading" and "threatening", the author means that they're still no further north than the latitudes of the Everglades. He just didn't say so in the hopes that the reader would later read that a scientific paper predicted that these snakes could survive in latitudes north of the Everglades. Better science says they will die if exposed to cooler temperatures than those regularly experienced in the Everglades. The latest cold snap proved it! LOTS of them died! Therefore, they’re no threat to the rest of the US which means it’s a state of Florida issue.
Before quoting the USGS report, the author should have taken note of the nepotistic relationship between the Everglades Nat'l Park and the USGS and how both will benefit substantially. Both are part of the Dept of the Interior and will receive a HUGE influx of Federal money for "studies" if enough hype is created.
There is no denying that these animals exist in the Everglades and that they shouldn't be there. No one wants them there. But nothing else has been proven. There is no science to back the claim that they're harming the environment. In fact, feral hogs and cats as well as non-native plants are the largest threats to the Everglades environment. But the focus is on pythons because the truth is that Babe, Garfield, and shrubs don't scare people, do they? BIG PYTHONS DO! There's never been an attack on a human from a wild "big constrictor". In fact, they'd rather flee than fight. There's mention that they have "no native predators" which is true, but misleading. Lots of animals eat these pythons as they're maturing. Birds of prey, racoons, cats (house cats and panthers), other snakes, gators, etc. all will eat these snakes.
Good luck with the hype… jb
Time for the feds to act? Why?Does the government clean up your house? They don't clean up mine.
Reply | Report Abuse | Link to thisThese are state issues. Actually, in the case of pythons, it's more like a local issue as Central Florida and North Florida are completely unaffected.
Our government was set up with the notion that each state could self govern. We've lost sight of that, which is truly sad, and makes for a very large, very costly, very inefficient government.
jb
Alligators are not threatened. There are well over a million gators in this country. There are still gator bounties in FL because of how many there are. If you're gonna make a statement like that, back it up with some facts.
Reply | Report Abuse | Link to thisThe HSUS report that this article is based on has been found flawed and politically driven by several major research groups and biologists.
Flawed science is leading to panic and mass hysteria. Rediculous. Shame on SciAm for regurgitating this filth.
ok, much of what needs to be said has already been said. i just want to reiterate how incredibly irresponsible this article is. it is nothing more than a fear-mongering smear piece. the author took no initiative to research the issue - or rather, BOTH SIDES of the issue. what happened to the days of UNBIASED science? science w/o a political agenda? based on all the similar pieces out there, those days are LONG gone.
Reply | Report Abuse | Link to thisone small thing still needs addressed... the article states that biologists "hope to keep the invasion contained." well, what they apparently don't know (or won't admit) is that their job has ALREADY been accomplished by MOTHER NATURE. these animals CANNOT survive much farther north than the ENP (despite what the USGS report says). anyone who knows burms (or the other snakes included in the federal ban) knows that temps experienced REGULARLY in areas OTHER than the ENP are not survivable long-term for these animals. so, as has already been stated, this is NOT a national problem. this is a FLORIDA problem.
just because a majority of people don't like snakes doesn't mean that WE can't keep them.
Alligators aren't anywhere NEAR threatened..... This publication by USGS is pseudoscience at best... and is driven by political motivation more than a quest for validation..... Florida's poised to get billions in funding for their Everglades restoration project... they are doing so using the PYTHON as their posterchild.... There are so many other invasive species that are causing critical problems in the everglades.... but all the focus is going on this one.... that is probably been eradicated this winter due to climate........
Reply | Report Abuse | Link to thisIt's really sad how easily the politicians can distort the truth by using media sensationalism...... it's even sadder that USGS is in the pockets of the politicians now... providing "scientific proof" of whatever agenda they need met
What's even more pathetic is how this magazine, Scientific American would consider leaving the realm of true science to be a political mouthpiece and participate in this kind of gossip and half truths. It's common knowledge that the USGS study is completely flawed.... but even worse.... the author of this article didn't even quote that study accurately.
Reply | Report Abuse | Link to thisYou should get some editors that approach their subject matter in a more unbiased way.... maybe in a SCIENTIFIC way.......
Maybe they should take this approach to your housecat.... because they have caused nationwide ecological damage as a feral population... The government could ban the breeding of cats too..... then one day the HSUS will say stray dogs are a problem....no more dogs. Many of you don't know that they have been pushing to eliminate the ownership of ALL pets...
Reply | Report Abuse | Link to thisWhat does this solve??? then you create a HUGE ellicit black market ..... a new problem.... that costs the taxpayers Billions to control ......
Prohibition has never been a good answer......
Crap. I thought this was about python programmers beating up C++ programmers. I get here and it's about snakes. Geez.
Reply | Report Abuse | Link to thisKen
http://www.kenStech.com
Any good recipes for Python ? Python Pot Pie?
Reply | Report Abuse | Link to thisWhat would the level of quality be on snake hide?
Do Pythons eat their own?
Are Anacondas next?
We're doomed.
Shame on Scientific American for not fact-checking their science. The Indian python and Burmese python do not share the same range, and the USGS knew this, but used the Indian python data anyhow. Burmese cannot survive the chilly temperatures that Indian pythons may weather. The USGS report was a scientific joke, is not peer-reviewed, and has been condemned by all real scientists who have read it. By promoting this fiction as fact, Scientific American has aided political interests in using false science to promote their agenda.
Reply | Report Abuse | Link to thisWhat's more, released pets aren't responsible for the establishment of a breeding population of Burmese in the Everglades. That release coincides with Hurricane Andrew, which threw warehouses into the swamp. Burmese genetic mapping shows the vast majority out there are related to one another, and come from a single origin which is not one commonly found in the pet trade.
Your total and complete disregard for any sort of fact checking before publishing this sensationalistic completely unscientific garbage is extremely disappointing. It is readily apparent that the author never even bothered to run a simple Google search before submitting this for publication.
Reply | Report Abuse | Link to thisCongratulations, not only on loosing a long time reader, but on making a mockery of your publication's very name.
Should you decide to ever write an article concerning this matter based on real science (as opposed to regurgitating spoon fed political agendas) I've included a starting point below.
The USGS report has not underwent independent peer review, in fact it has been publicly denounced as unscientific and unfit to base legislation on by, at least, the following list of professionals
Elliott Jacobson, MS, DVM, PhD, Dipl. ACZM
Professor of Zoological Medicine
University of Florida
Dale DeNardo, DVM, PhD
Associate Professor School of Life Sciences
Arizona State University
Paul M. Gibbons, DVM, MS, Dipl. ABVP (Avian)
President-Elect, Association of Reptilian and Amphibian Veterinarians
Interim Regent, Reptiles & Amphibians, American Board of Veterinary Practitioners
Director, Exotic Species Specialty Service
Animal Emergency Center and Specialty Services
Chris Griffin, DVM, Dipl. ABVP (Avian)
President, Association of Reptilian and Amphibian Veterinarians
Owner and Medical Director
Griffin Avian and Exotic Veterinary Hospital
Brady Barr, PhD
Resident Herpetologist
National Geographic Society
Endangered Species Coalition of the Council of State Governments
Crocodilian Specialist Group
Warren Booth, PhD
Invasive Species Biologist
Research Associate
North Carolina State University
Director of Science
United States Association of Reptile Keepers
Ray E. Ashton, Jr.
President
Ashton Biodiversity Research & Preservation Institute
Robert Herrington, PhD
Professor of Biology
Georgia Southwestern State University
Douglas L. Hotle
Curator of Herpetology/Conservation/Research
Natural Toxins Research Center
Texas A&M University
Francis L. Rose (Retired) , B.S., M.S. (Zoology), PhD (Zoology)
Professor Emeritus
Texas State University
Edward J. Wozniak DVM, PhD
Regional Veterinarian
Zoonosis Control Division
Texas Department of State Health Services
This is even going to affect golf in Florida.
Reply | Report Abuse | Link to thisIn Singapore, there are well documented cases of golfers being bitten in the butt or worse still on the family jewels while answering the call of nature in ground floor toilets. Pythons thrive even in sewers.
Wild Boar stir fried or in a curry is quite delicious.
Reply | Report Abuse | Link to thisTo the person that stated the possible problem of killing a native species as a case of mistaken identity. The largest native snake in Florida is the Indigo, a black snake that usually arounf 6-8 feet long. A python, like the ones mentioned in the article, usually are double-if not triple the size of the Indigo, and they have a completely different color pattern. Albeit there are some ignorant hunters who shoot at whatever moves, the accidental slaying of native species is not a huge problem. I hope that I have eased you concern.
Reply | Report Abuse | Link to thisI was watching a TV program few weeks ago where they were showing interviews of some of the Federal park rangers who mainly talked about how cute the snakes are and I think it is big part of it. I am not a big fan of keeping a snake as a pet as it can be lethal. I also read a story that a women has been killed by her pet. She had a <a href="http://www.pythonsnake.org/">python</a>. Here is its link: blog.newsok.com/thepetshow/2008/10/27/woman-killed-by-her-pet-snake/
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