U.S. scientists have admitted to being powerless in the face of Florida’s python infestation
The war on dark tiger pythons in Florida has been going on for more than 20 years. These snakes, whose homeland is Southeast Asia, many years ago were brought to the U.S. by fans of exotic fauna. Some of the specimens managed to escape from terrariums, and the warm and humid climate of Florida turned out to be no worse than their historical homeland. But the local fauna was not ready for the invasion of voracious and amazingly fruitful migrants. Environmentalists sound the alarm: Many local species are threatened with extinction. Local residents organized catching and destroying of snakes, but they turned out to be very difficult prey. In the spring of 2023, scientists stated that humans were losing to pythons in the battle for the Sunshine State.
The problem with huge snakes in Florida has been known for a long time, and Concepcion was the first glorified snake to be born after scientists began talking about a real invasion of Asian reptiles.
Their teeth are bent backwards, so if a snake gets you, you have to pour alcohol in its mouth or pray that it lets you go of itself
Matthew Concepcion Florida dark tiger python champion 2022
Local legend has it that Hurricane Andrew in 1992 was the main reason for the massive spread of Asian reptiles. Back then, thousands of snakes entered the Everglades ecosystem from a destroyed nursery that was raising them for pet stores and clothing manufacturers near Homestead. However, many experts disagree.
The year 2005 became a turning point in the mass consciousness of Florida residents when pictures were published showing a giant snake in a battle with an equally large alligator, the state’s main living attraction. In a sense, this battle was emblematic of the clash between foreign invaders and Florida natives.
The rate at which these snakes are breeding and changing Florida’s fauna is truly frightening. From 1997 to 2012 alone, there was a 99.3 percent decline in the raccoon population there, a 98.9 percent decline in possums and an 87.5 percent decline in bobcats. Experts haven’t seen native marsh rabbits or foxes at all in 10 years. The Asian invaders are believed to have wiped them out completely.
Python hunting has become almost a national sport in Florida, and snake hunters are getting better results every year. This should be encouraging, but scientists are not optimistic.
Burmese pythons are adept at evading traps and are almost immune to poisons. They hide very well in the branches of trees and grass and are active mainly at night. So far, the only method of resisting the infestation is manual catching and shooting. And here people lose practically in one goal.
It is most likely impossible to completely exterminate the pythons in Florida. Reducing their population, even on a local scale, will require strategic coordination among researchers, land users, as well as funding, established public relations, implementation of a number of different complementary techniques, and careful evaluation of their effectiveness
From the article Burmese pythons in Florida: A synthesis of biology, impacts, and management tools
It is clear that the measures proposed by the scientists will require enormous funding and the involvement of hundreds of specialists from a wide range of disciplines.
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