Florida's 'Python Patrol'

[sarongsong]

March 30, 2009
...a team of utility workers, wildlife officials, park rangers and police trying to keep Burmese pythons from gaining a foothold in the Florida Keys...can grow to 20 feet long and eat large animals whole -- are being ditched by pet owners...the snakes are breeding...just north of the Keys in Everglades National Park. An estimated 30,000...live in the park...Eight...have been found in the Keys...The largest clutches of eggs found in the Everglades have numbered up to 83. The snakes grow like they're on steroids, with a life span of 30 years...
CNN (http://www.cnn.com/2009/US/03/30/python.patrol/)

Map (http://www.snyderhall.com/location/images/mapState.jpg)Yeow! :eek:

[geonuc]

I wonder what the alligators think of this development?

[JustAFriend]

Yup. My son works at a wildlife rescue shelter near Lake Okeechobee (just northwest of West Palm Beach) and people who bring in these 'alien' pets and then let them go when they realize that they can't take care of them is a huge problem....

[HenrikOlsen]

I wonder what the alligators think of this development?
Food!

[sarongsong]

...for both (http://www.google.com/search?client=opera&rls=en&q=youtube+alligator+python&sourceid=opera&ie=utf-8&oe=utf-8)! :)...Two 5-foot-long alligators were found in the stomachs of Burmese pythons that were caught and necropsied...

[NosePicker]

Slithery situation....

[Euniculus]

This situation is horrendous, yet awesome in some twisted way.

[danscope]

"Honey,.......have you seen the dog lately? ...............
.........................Honey??????......"

[Swift]

How the Python Patrol (http://sawyerspeaks.files.wordpress.com/2008/04/monty_foot.jpg) stamps out the snakes they find.

[Salty]

I saw a TV show on that, last year. It's gruesome.

We had an alligator in Lake Grapevine (DFW suburb) after Hurricane Katrina.

Back to the topic. I doubt I'll visit Florida, again.

[Romanus]

Awesome? I'm waiting for my rogue macaques, African elephants and Bengal tigers. Just to spice things up, you know.

[novaderrik]

i think the everglades could use a few Tigers, just to add another level of predator into the mix.

[danscope]

"Ah yes,.....and throw in a few lawyers and pretty soon you'll have a jungle."

W.C. Fields ....or someone like him.


Dan

[closetgeek]

i think the everglades could use a few Tigers, just to add another level of predator into the mix.

Panthers aren't enough?

[Buttercup]

Egad! :(

I recall being shocked at Viper Alarms when I first moved here [New Mexico]. Fortunately that was the name of a home security (anti-burglar) company, lol. Was very glad to learn the snake population isn't THAT out of control. :P

[novaderrik]

Panthers aren't enough?
they aren't exactly Tigers, are they?

[JustAFriend]

i think the everglades could use a few Tigers, just to add another level of predator into the mix.

I grant your wish.... we have a Tiger Sanctuary here:

http://thedudedean.newsvine.com/_news/2008/08/21/1769340-tiger-captured-after-escape-from-sanctuary

We also have a chimp sanctuary that houses the decendents of the Astronaut Chimps of the early '60s and the wildlife center I mentioned above is working with a group that is bringing an Elephant Sanctuary here, too....

Note that none of these facilities are open to the public, so you cant come out an gawk at the animals... these are RESCUE shelters. However if you're in the area, you can go to Lion Country Safari in West Palm Beach where you can drive through savannahs and see lots of 'em.

[novaderrik]

I grant your wish.... we have a Tiger Sanctuary here:

http://thedudedean.newsvine.com/_news/2008/08/21/1769340-tiger-captured-after-escape-from-sanctuary

We also have a chimp sanctuary that houses the decendents of the Astronaut Chimps of the early '60s and the wildlife center I mentioned above is working with a group that is bringing an Elephant Sanctuary here, too....

Note that none of these facilities are open to the public, so you cant come out an gawk at the animals... these are RESCUE shelters. However if you're in the area, you can go to Lion Country Safari in West Palm Beach where you can drive through savannahs and see lots of 'em.
doesn't count.. they need to be out prowling around in the wild. the chimps, while not predators, would surely add some character to the area...
Tigers and Pythons and Chimps- oh my!!!!

[PraedSt]

the chimps, while not predators...
Actually, I hear they can be quite nasty... :D

Edit: Here's David (youtube link) (http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=WDFh5JdYh7I). There are others I'm sure.

[novaderrik]

why do i always forget that Chimps eat meat?

[closetgeek]

they aren't exactly Tigers, are they?

It's in the big cat family and I certainly wouldn't tease it. There are big cat predators in the glades is all I am saying.

[novaderrik]

It's in the big cat family and I certainly wouldn't tease it. There are big cat predators in the glades is all I am saying.
we've got mountain lions around here, but they are rarely ever encountered. once in a while, they go after a baby horse or cow or something, but not often.
Tigers. i think, would make things more exciting.. but not here- in the everglades, becasue, you know, that's a long ways from here..

[Maha Vailo]

Forget making things exciting, invasives are a threat to native wildlife!

How can I get myself into the business of hunting/trapping pythons and the like?

- Maha Vailo

[sarongsong]

...picturing Maha-"Bring'em back alive!"-Vailo stalking the Everglades... :lol:

You'll need some bait! :)

[Phamph]

Its interesting how people applaud 'diversity' among human populations, but then soil themselves when it involves wildlife.

So Burmese pythons now call Florida home, whats the big woop?

[closetgeek]

Funny Phamph, I was going to reply that it upsets the balance of that particular system but really, when has that ever stopped us from doing anything? Good point Phamph.

[PraedSt]

Funny Phamph, I was going to reply that it upsets the balance of that particular system but really, when has that ever stopped us from doing anything? Good point Phamph.
That avatar of yours is unfairly cute. It's impossible to argue with you while staring at a kitten. :)

[closetgeek]

That avatar of yours is unfairly cute. It's impossible to argue with you while staring at a kitten. :)

Pretend I just clawed a hole in your couch. Heh! I used to have Penguin PJ's that rendered my husband utterly defenseless. He said the same thing, it was hard to argue with someone covered in Penguins.

[PraedSt]

Aha! So you know exactly what you're doing. Evil. :)

[closetgeek]

Aha! So you know exactly what you're doing. Evil. :)

Not evil, just playing all my cards.

[Swift]

Its interesting how people applaud 'diversity' among human populations, but then soil themselves when it involves wildlife.

So Burmese pythons now call Florida home, whats the big woop?
"People" applaud diversity in animal and plant populations too. But when humans introduce exotic species that are not normally part of that ecosystem, they can destroy that diversity.

Yes, eventually a new balance will be achieved. Nature may take a couple of thousand years to do that. My feeling is, if people mess it up, people should fix.

[mfumbesi]

I saw a documentary on a python that swallowed an ailing alligator only to to get into a scuffle with another alligator and getting killed. The smaller alligators are in trouble but the big boys are smiling for them the pythons are lunch.

[DonM435]

I thought I remembered an old news story . . . found it:


MIAMI, Fla. — Alligators have clashed with nonnative pythons before in Everglades National Park. But when a 6-foot gator tangled with a 13-foot python recently, the result wasn't pretty.

The snake apparently tried to swallow the gator whole — and then exploded. Scientists stumbled upon the gory remains last week.

. . .

http://www.foxnews.com/story/0,2933,171358,00.html

[sarongsong]

ToSeeked (http://www.bautforum.com/off-topic-babbling/33332-python-exploded.html#post572649)

[DonM435]

Some things are timeless . . .