On June 22, 2022, the Conservancy of Southwest Florida revealed they had captured a 215-pound (98-kilogram) female Burmese python in Everglades National Park. Measuring 18 feet long (5 meters), it is the heaviest Burmese python ever caught in the state. The previous the record holder was a 185 pounds (84 kilos)( specimen captured in Naples, Florida in 2021.
Further away exam of the euthanasia snake revealed she was carrying 122 developing eggs – the most ever found in a female python during a breeding cycle. Biologists have also discovered evidence of an adult white-tailed deer inside the snake’s stomach. Deer are an important food source for endangered Florida panthers that live in the Everglades.
“The elimination of female pythons plays a critical role in disturb the reproductive cycle of these apices predators that wreak havoc ravaged on the Everglades ecosystem and taking food sources from other natives species,“This is the wildlife problem of our time for South Florida,” said Ian Bartoszek, environmental science project manager at the Conservancy.
A male python called Dionysus, or Dion, who is equipped with a radio transmitter, leads biologists to massive reptile. Male pythons are attracted to larger females. Thereby. When Dion visited the same area in the western Everglades for several weeks, they suspected he was encountering a woman. The male “scout” also led the team to four other female Burmese pythons this year.
Native In Southeast Asia, Burmese pythons were first brought to the United States as exotic pets. Reptiles are thought to have established a bastion in the Everglades ecosystem After some time Hurricane Andrew hit Florida in 1992. The Category 5 storm destroyed a nearby nest easereleasing many snakes in the swamps.
Reptiles have a huge ability to reproduce and Florida officials have long since given up trying to eradicate the invasive animals. Instead, they focus on reducing their spread with various methods, including using python “scouts” like Dion and snake-sniffing dogs. The state also holds an annual “Python Challenge”. The two-week competition invites both experts and amateurs hunt as many snakes as possible swap for cash prizes. In 2021, the competition helped remove 223 Burmese Everglades pythons.
Resources: conervancy.org, CNN.com, History.com
Comments are closed.