South Florida already has a problem with the growing numbers of nonnative Burmese Pythons and now a cluster of python captures within a square mile in South Florida has wildlife officials scrambling to prevent a new breed from spreading, CBS station WFOR-TV reported.
Authorities are investigating the discovery of three African rock pythons in west Miami-Dade County over the past few months, including a juvenile and a female with eggs. The snake is similar in size and appearance to the Burmese python that has increased in numbers in the Everglades since the early 1990s, only considered much more aggressive.
Lacking any venom, rock pythons have the distinctive trait of not just eating their prey, but crushing it to death. The rock python is one of the largest snakes in the world.
The Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission is sending officers and specially permitted python hunters to the area where the snakes were found.
Pat Behnke with the FWC says it’s important to note that the Burmese Python population problem was discovered after the nonnative snakes had already established a foothold in the Everglades but the same is not true with the Rock Pythons.
“We knew about this immediately. People are getting more aware and reporting things and that’s very helpful,” Behnke told WFOR-TV. “It’s something we are aware of and we have folks looking for these reptiles of concern because one in the wild is simply too many.”
The spread of pythons, while not anything new in the state, has increasingly come into the public spotlight since an 8-foot Burmese pet python suffocated a 2-year-old girl in her bedroom in central Florida in July.
Following that incident, specially permitted herpetology experts began searching for pythons in state wildlife management areas in South Florida to search out and destroy as many pythons as they could find. The Python Patrol was launched on July 17th.
Since then, 24 Burmese pythons have been captured on state-managed lands, which does not include the federal land of Everglades National Park, where many of the snakes are living.
Behnke says the state is discussing the issue with the federal government.
It’s unclear how many Burmese pythons are prowling in the wild across South Florida, but state wildlife officials estimate there are at least tens of thousands.
SOURCE: WBZTV.com
Posted on October 10th, 2009 at 5:17 pm by Lin McNulty
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