Terrorist Invasion Via U.S. Pet Owners

This environmental threat has taken the form of an invasion of a foreign species, the Burmese Python that is one of the largest snakes in the world and it is wrecking havoc on the wildlife of the Florida Everglades and the population of these snakes is exploding. Virtually 100 percent of this feral snake population has come about because of accidental escape or purposeful release by pet owners who can no longer handle their growing behemoth Pythons.

The greatest impact from the Burmese Pythons has been seen in southern Florida. A population count of these rogue snakes was first undertaken in 2000. Since that time these fast growing predators have spread beyond the Everglades and are now located in distant areas that include Key Largo, Marco Island, the Big Cypress, and other managed wildlife areas. The numbers on the map below indicate areas of most concentrated Python populations.

In 2012 that problem of predation by these foreign invaders was having a significant impact as evidenced in a report published by Tampa Bay Times. Here is a short quote from that study: ?In a report published Monday, a team of scientists said they found that between 2003 and 2011, the areas where pythons had proliferated saw a 99 percent decrease in raccoons, a 98 percent drop in opossums, a 94 percent drop in white-tailed deer and an 87 percent falloff for bobcats. And that’s not the worst of it. ?The bottom line: ?In areas where pythons have been established the longest ? mammal populations appear to have been severely reduced.”

A lack of regulation by the Federal Government has allowed this massive explosion to take place. When the Python is small it eats mice and rats but it can grow large enough to eat large alligators and adult deer. Every year the female can lay up to 100 eggs although 30 is a more common number. When the eggs hatch the small snakes are already a foot long.

Edited/Published by: SB