Burmese Pythons in Florida

If you were to poll a group of people of things that scared them the most, it wouldn’t be a surprise if at least a few of them mentioned snakes. Snakes have always had a bad reputation among the general public, but it is lucky that here in the United States, we do not need to worry about the massive snakes so frequently featured in horror films. That is, we do not need to worry about them until now. Although the origins of the snakes are unclear, the fact is that large pythons can now be found in some areas of the United States and are rapidly affecting the ecosystem they inhabit.

Now, before anyone gets alarmed, there is some basic information to put on the table. The large snakes I was referring to are Burmese pythons. They were introduced to the Florida everglades ecosystem anywhere from 10-20 years ago and their population has exploded since. They are thriving in the subtropical climate of southern Florida and show no signs of stopping. These snakes grow to up to 20 feet long and hunt their prey by constricting and suffocating them. They hunt everything from shorebirds to deer in the everglades and are making a massive impact on the ecosystems they live in. They are wiping out endangered species and threatening even more. There have been horror stories about attacks on humans, and a few have been confirmed. Attacks on children by pets are the relatively most common, although they are still incredibly rare. This does not, however, discount the fact that these pythons are incredibly dangerous to the ecosystem that they are now invading.

These pythons need to be effectively managed for in Florida to prevent this predator from completely dominating their landscape. I can’t pretend that I have a solution that will solve the problem, because if I did, I’m sure I wouldn’t be writing this blog at the moment; however, I have presented information on why this is a major problem. It is no secret that there are huge ecological implications to introducing a predator like at Burmese python to an ecosystem as fragile as the Florida everglades. The everglades are already threatened by urbanization and pollution. The animals that live in this ecosystem are just as fragile as the ecosystem they live in. More and more species are becoming threatened and adding a predator into the mix only complicates them even more. There has been evidence that even the American alligator is preyed upon by these pythons. If the historically top predator in the area is being displaced by a new species, it is impossible to predict the outcome of this situation.

All in all, it is clear to see that this situation is a major problem. While there is no clear solution to the problem at the moment, an important lesson can be learned. It seems like the common theme when talking about introduced species; non-native species are often incredibly dangerous to the ecosystems that they are introduced to. We can only hope to learn from this dangerous predator that we need to do everything we can to stop the spread of invasive species, regardless of what they are and where they come from. The effects are impossible to predict and often result in unexpected consequences. We need to learn from mistakes and use this knowledge to protect our resources for the future!