http://cbs4.com/local/Burmese.Python.Snake.2.1109348.html Well, 17ft long is substantial to say the least, cannot really blame the snake, it is merely trying to get by in the wild, but the environment is perfect for such exotic species to thrive in, that snake was easily large enough to eat a smallish alligator.
Its truly a problem down there. If something isn't done soon about the proliferation of former pet pythons and anacondas, the ecosystem of the everglades will be destroyed.
Holy Crap. I had a 8' Boa when I lived in Vegas, and it was INCREDIBLY large. I can't even imagine the HORROR....
I wouldn't be THAT dramatic FinD, every species, even a non indigenous one, will reach a level of sustainability, the problem is how many other species are pushed out along the way? A snake that large is almost the apex predator of the Everglades, rivaled only by the largest alligators, but the python can easily catch and eat the young alligators, not sure if that would work the other way around.
The australian pine which is so prevalent in south florida is not native to it.It was intoduced and it has replaced native trees . And so it is with introduced creatures .They end up replacing other species in the food chain sometimes causing their extinction. How long will it be before pirañas take hold in the everglades ?
The article mentions that the program that caught the python was a catch and kill one as exotic snakes are considered that much of a threat to the resilience of the Everglades in place ecosystem.
Me either. I respect them and think they are fascinating animals. But they creep me out, especially the larger ones. And speaking of big snakes, I was watching some guy on animal planet looking for king cobras. He found one that was a good 12 ft. long. It was amazing. But if saw that thing I would literally **** myself and then proceed to run so fast they would clock my 40 at 3.75.
i hate snakes, they scare the crap out of me. i catch as many Black snakes (king snake) and let em go in the woods behind me. its not because i love em, they can kill a copperhead, which is poisonous, and they eat moles. they are super fast and very aggresive and do have a nasty bite which can get infected if you don't take care of it. we were looking at some flagstone rock and when i turned to leave there was a black snake coiled up behind me. i kicked at it and it slithered away. the owner of the place said he'd never seen a black snake coil up like that so we went after it and found out it was a cotton mouth. i ran like a bat out of hell. the only difference is a cotton mouth has the trianguler head and looks like it has a mouth full of cotton, its real white. won't make that mistake again, sheesh.
That's the problem. People buy them as pets, then release them into the Everglades, which is not their natural habitat.
My neighborhood is overrun with Iguanas. Seen em as big a five feet or so. Haven't caught one yet, but I try.
I cant stand snakes. I dont mind watching them on tv or reading about them in national geographic or something but thats about as close as Id care to be near one.
You guys hear about that 50 ft. Python they found in Indonesia a few years back? It was so big, they feed it dogs, and the local tribes worshipped it as a God http://www.msnbc.msn.com/id/3845750
I used to breed Burmese pythons to sell back in the 90's. I know how to catch and handle them. I'm just waiting for Governor Criss to put a bounty on them. I'll be down in the Glades that same day.
The last line of that article says "The species is native to the swamps and jungles of Southeast Asia." Im kinda hoping we could just leave all the snakes there and ill just never take a visit there.
You wouldn't like Florida then. You can find snakes everywhere here. One of my earliest memories as a kid is waking up to what I thought was someone screaming outside me window. I go outside to see a snake in a tree with a huge Bull Frog in it's mouth. The noise the frog made sounded like a childs' scream...freaky.
I remember reading that when the UK governed India they put a similar bounty on snakes. They were staggered by the number of snakes that were turned in for the bounty. They later determined that people started breeding the snakes strictly for the purpose of collecting the bounty.
I have visited south florida numerous times and never encountered one. I hope it stays that way but I know how it is there. Im prepared to kick a field goal with that thing the second it tries to get at me.
^^ All you need are waders for the swampy marsh, an airboat, and good boots..and a shotgun just in case. You don't need bait. You just need to know how they maneuver, and how to anticipate their actions. I can get the waders, and I know a guy down there with an airboat. It would be worth it to me to try take a trip down there for that bounty...if Criss offers it. __________________
Hey now...If you want to wade through the swamp in water moccasin infested water, you go right ahead. I'll be fine with my waist high waders. Maybe I'll run into Sleazy Sally. (10 bonus points for anyone who knows who Sleazy Sally is.)
The Smithsonian used to have a 100k bounty for a constrictor that was 35 ft long or longer, AFAIK no one has ever claimed it.
the snake is controlled by the Gubmint acording to the show I watched.. it was a legit 50+ American feets. They said the village near where it was living had been worshipping it and it took special permission to capture it.
