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Snakes alive! Pythons thrive in Everglades
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Snake Season
Jan 30, 2012, 8:20:01 PM1/30/12
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http://www.stuff.co.nz/world/americas/6341399/Snakes-alive-
Pythons-thrive-in-Everglades
A burgeoning population of huge pythons - many of them pets that
were turned loose by their owners when they got too big -
appears to be wiping out large numbers of raccoons, opossums,
bobcats and other mammals in the Everglades, a study says.
The study, published today (NZ time) in the Proceedings of the
National Academy of Sciences, found that sightings of medium-
size mammals are down dramatically - as much as 99 per cent, in
some cases - in areas where pythons and other large, non-native
constrictor snakes are known to be lurking.
Scientists fear the pythons could disrupt the food chain and
upset the Everglades' environmental balance in ways difficult to
predict.
"The effects of declining mammal populations on the overall
Everglades ecosystem, which extends well beyond the national
park boundaries, are likely profound," said John Willson, a
research scientist at Virginia Tech University and co-author of
the study.
Tens of thousands of Burmese pythons, which are native to
Southeast Asia, are believed to be living in the Everglades,
where they thrive in the warm, humid climate. While many were
apparently released by their owners, others may have escaped
from pet shops during Hurricane Andrew in 1992 and have been
reproducing ever since.
Burmese pythons can grow to be 7.9 metres long and more than 91
kilograms, and they have been known to swallow animals as large
as alligators. They and other constrictor snakes kill their prey
by coiling around it and suffocating it.
The National Park Service has counted 1825 Burmese pythons that
have been caught in and around Everglades National Park since
2000. Among the largest so far was a 70.7kg, 5m one captured
earlier this month.
For the study, researchers drove 62,000 kilometres along
Everglades-area roads from 2003 through 2011, counting wildlife
spotted along the way and comparing the results with surveys
conducted on the same routes in 1996 and 1997.
The researchers found staggering declines in animal sightings: a
drop of 99.3 per cent among raccoons, 98.9 per cent for
opossums, 94.1 per cent for white-tailed deer and 87.5 per cent
for bobcats. Along roads where python populations are believed
to be smaller, declines were lower but still notable.
Rabbits and foxes, which were commonly spotted in 1996 and 1997,
were not seen at all in the later counts. Researchers noted
slight increases in coyotes, Florida panthers, rodents and other
mammals, but discounted that finding because so few were spotted
overall.
"The magnitude of these declines underscores the apparent
incredible density of pythons in Everglades National Park," said
Michael Dorcas, a professor at Davidson College in North
Carolina and lead author of the study.
Although scientists cannot definitively say the pythons are
killing off the mammals, the snakes are the prime suspect. The
increase in pythons coincides with the mammals' decrease, and
the decline appears to grow in magnitude with the size of the
snakes' population in an area. A single disease appears unlikely
to be the cause since several species were affected.
The report says the effect on the overall ecosystem is hard to
predict. Declines among bobcats and foxes, which eat rabbits,
could be linked to pythons' feasting on rabbits. On the flip
side, declines among raccoons, which eat eggs, may help some
turtles, crocodiles and birds.
Scientists point with concern to what happened in Guam, where
the invasive brown tree snake has killed off birds, bats and
lizards that pollinated trees and flowers and dispersed seeds.
That has led to declines in native trees, fish-eating birds and
certain plants.
In 2010, Florida banned private ownership of Burmese pythons.
Earlier this month, US Interior Secretary Ken Salazar announced
a federal ban on the import of Burmese pythons and three other
snakes.
Salazar said today that the study shows why such restrictions
were needed.
"This study paints a stark picture of the real damage that
Burmese pythons are causing to native wildlife and the Florida
economy," he said.
http://static2.stuff.co.nz/1327969465/500/6341500.jpg
SNAKES ALIVE: A November 14, 2009 photo provided by the
University of Florida shows researchers holding a 73kg Burmese
python captured in Everglades National Park. Therese Walters,
Alex Wolf and Michael R. Rochford are holding the 4.7-metre
snake shortly after the python ate a 2m American alligator.
Pythons-thrive-in-Everglades
A burgeoning population of huge pythons - many of them pets that
were turned loose by their owners when they got too big -
appears to be wiping out large numbers of raccoons, opossums,
bobcats and other mammals in the Everglades, a study says.
The study, published today (NZ time) in the Proceedings of the
National Academy of Sciences, found that sightings of medium-
size mammals are down dramatically - as much as 99 per cent, in
some cases - in areas where pythons and other large, non-native
constrictor snakes are known to be lurking.
Scientists fear the pythons could disrupt the food chain and
upset the Everglades' environmental balance in ways difficult to
predict.
"The effects of declining mammal populations on the overall
Everglades ecosystem, which extends well beyond the national
park boundaries, are likely profound," said John Willson, a
research scientist at Virginia Tech University and co-author of
the study.
Tens of thousands of Burmese pythons, which are native to
Southeast Asia, are believed to be living in the Everglades,
where they thrive in the warm, humid climate. While many were
apparently released by their owners, others may have escaped
from pet shops during Hurricane Andrew in 1992 and have been
reproducing ever since.
Burmese pythons can grow to be 7.9 metres long and more than 91
kilograms, and they have been known to swallow animals as large
as alligators. They and other constrictor snakes kill their prey
by coiling around it and suffocating it.
The National Park Service has counted 1825 Burmese pythons that
have been caught in and around Everglades National Park since
2000. Among the largest so far was a 70.7kg, 5m one captured
earlier this month.
For the study, researchers drove 62,000 kilometres along
Everglades-area roads from 2003 through 2011, counting wildlife
spotted along the way and comparing the results with surveys
conducted on the same routes in 1996 and 1997.
The researchers found staggering declines in animal sightings: a
drop of 99.3 per cent among raccoons, 98.9 per cent for
opossums, 94.1 per cent for white-tailed deer and 87.5 per cent
for bobcats. Along roads where python populations are believed
to be smaller, declines were lower but still notable.
Rabbits and foxes, which were commonly spotted in 1996 and 1997,
were not seen at all in the later counts. Researchers noted
slight increases in coyotes, Florida panthers, rodents and other
mammals, but discounted that finding because so few were spotted
overall.
"The magnitude of these declines underscores the apparent
incredible density of pythons in Everglades National Park," said
Michael Dorcas, a professor at Davidson College in North
Carolina and lead author of the study.
Although scientists cannot definitively say the pythons are
killing off the mammals, the snakes are the prime suspect. The
increase in pythons coincides with the mammals' decrease, and
the decline appears to grow in magnitude with the size of the
snakes' population in an area. A single disease appears unlikely
to be the cause since several species were affected.
The report says the effect on the overall ecosystem is hard to
predict. Declines among bobcats and foxes, which eat rabbits,
could be linked to pythons' feasting on rabbits. On the flip
side, declines among raccoons, which eat eggs, may help some
turtles, crocodiles and birds.
Scientists point with concern to what happened in Guam, where
the invasive brown tree snake has killed off birds, bats and
lizards that pollinated trees and flowers and dispersed seeds.
That has led to declines in native trees, fish-eating birds and
certain plants.
In 2010, Florida banned private ownership of Burmese pythons.
Earlier this month, US Interior Secretary Ken Salazar announced
a federal ban on the import of Burmese pythons and three other
snakes.
Salazar said today that the study shows why such restrictions
were needed.
"This study paints a stark picture of the real damage that
Burmese pythons are causing to native wildlife and the Florida
economy," he said.
http://static2.stuff.co.nz/1327969465/500/6341500.jpg
SNAKES ALIVE: A November 14, 2009 photo provided by the
University of Florida shows researchers holding a 73kg Burmese
python captured in Everglades National Park. Therese Walters,
Alex Wolf and Michael R. Rochford are holding the 4.7-metre
snake shortly after the python ate a 2m American alligator.
Juris Diction
Feb 1, 2012, 11:26:56 PM2/1/12
to
In article <Z0KE5BO1409...@reece.net.au>,
scaring the hell out of and putting the squeeze on ignorant Floridians.
--
Give it up. The future is progressive.
Fuck The Alamo, Remember What Bush Did
"Snake Season" <opens...@snakes.fla> wrote:
> http://www.stuff.co.nz/world/americas/6341399/Snakes-alive-
> Pythons-thrive-in-Everglades
>
> A burgeoning population of huge pythons - many of them pets that
> were turned loose by their owners when they got too big -
> appears to be wiping out large numbers of raccoons, opossums,
> bobcats and other mammals in the Everglades, a study says.
There were a few republican snakes in the grass there recently too
> http://www.stuff.co.nz/world/americas/6341399/Snakes-alive-
> Pythons-thrive-in-Everglades
>
> A burgeoning population of huge pythons - many of them pets that
> were turned loose by their owners when they got too big -
> appears to be wiping out large numbers of raccoons, opossums,
> bobcats and other mammals in the Everglades, a study says.
scaring the hell out of and putting the squeeze on ignorant Floridians.
--
Give it up. The future is progressive.
Fuck The Alamo, Remember What Bush Did
emoneyjoe
Feb 2, 2012, 12:28:43 AM2/2/12
to
On Wed, 01 Feb 2012 20:26:56 -0800, Juris Diction <iw...@theditch.com>
wrote:
>In article <Z0KE5BO1409...@reece.net.au>,
> "Snake Season" <opens...@snakes.fla> wrote:
>
>> http://www.stuff.co.nz/world/americas/6341399/Snakes-alive-
>> Pythons-thrive-in-Everglades
>>
>> A burgeoning population of huge pythons - many of them pets that
>> were turned loose by their owners when they got too big -
>> appears to be wiping out large numbers of raccoons, opossums,
>> bobcats and other mammals in the Everglades, a study says.
>
>
>There were a few republican snakes in the grass there recently too
>scaring the hell out of and putting the squeeze on ignorant Floridians.
Just where are all the liberal snakes?
wrote:
>In article <Z0KE5BO1409...@reece.net.au>,
> "Snake Season" <opens...@snakes.fla> wrote:
>
>> http://www.stuff.co.nz/world/americas/6341399/Snakes-alive-
>> Pythons-thrive-in-Everglades
>>
>> A burgeoning population of huge pythons - many of them pets that
>> were turned loose by their owners when they got too big -
>> appears to be wiping out large numbers of raccoons, opossums,
>> bobcats and other mammals in the Everglades, a study says.
>
>
>There were a few republican snakes in the grass there recently too
>scaring the hell out of and putting the squeeze on ignorant Floridians.
RD Sandman
Feb 3, 2012, 2:13:06 PM2/3/12
to
emoneyjoe <emon...@iglou.com> wrote in
news:4n7ki75jri98bncpe...@4ax.com:
Chicago and the White House. They call a lot of them czars.
--
It's impossible to defeat an ignorant man in argument.
William G McAdoo
Sleep well, tonight.....
RD (The Sandman)
news:4n7ki75jri98bncpe...@4ax.com:
--
It's impossible to defeat an ignorant man in argument.
William G McAdoo
Sleep well, tonight.....
RD (The Sandman)
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