The Invasive Burmese Python
By Laura Josler
Keep an eye out for the invasive Burmese Python as it slowly begins to make its way north. Invasive species are those that are non-native and cause ecological destruction to the ecosystem they are invading. The invasive Burmese Python originated in the southeast Asian country of Burma, and does not belong in the state of Florida or anywhere in the US.
They first entered the US through the pet trade industry. As the family pet became too big, many overwhelmed owners released them into the wild, and they established populations. They were first spotted in the wild in the early 2000s and have since taken over much of southern Florida.
The Burmese Python can be identified by its dark brown scales, surrounded by a lighter brown across its whole body. They can become quite large, growing to be between 15 and 20 feet long. They have very adaptable jaws that can stretch much wider than one would expect, which enables them to eat anything they can fit in their mouth, including Florida's native and endangered species. Depending on their size, they can eat anything from small field mice to a 6-foot alligator. These massive snakes have no natural predators in Florida This is why their numbers have skyrocketed over the past 20 years. They have stayed concentrated in Everglades National Park, but are spreading north as family pets are released or escape, and as populations migrate north.
Controlling Burmese Python populations is a top priority of Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation (FWC). They are focusing on removal and informing the community,through contracted removal, training the public on how to identify and safely capture them, and the python challenge , in which they reward the most captured Burmese Pythons. FWC is asking you to report any sightings of Burmese Pythons immediately. This helps them trackwhere they are located, and how many are in a specific area. If you spot one in the wild, take a photo, note your location, and report it online at EDDMapS, using the IveGot1 mobile app or by calling (888)-483-4681.
