Invasive species provide a huge problem in ecosystems and in the development of other species in that surrounding area. Nonnative reptiles pose one of the major risks to native wildlife due to its ability to be in high densities and spread out covering larger areas with time. A large portion of South Florida including Everglades National Park (ENP) has Burmese Pythons native to Southeast Asia since the year 2000. It was then that the Burmese Python was found to significantly consume threatened and endangered animals of that area. As proof of the extent to which Burmese Pythons have affected the ecosystem, systematic road surveys were used in the ENP to sample the effects of them before and after they established in the region. Results showed
The presenters of the burmese pythons is negative it is impacting Florida's everglades. According to the news article that the senate of the committee brought a 16 foot long snake skin to a meeting. Its response to these is Florida's fishing and wildlife and sent out a prize to whoever finds the fattiest and the longest. The longest python found was 23 feet long and the fatties one was 200 pounds.
The Burmese Python is one of the most invasive of these non-native species. The snakes originate from Southeast Asia, so they thrive in Florida’s similar environment. The Everglades became sort of a paradise to the pythons, since their introduction in the early 1990’s.
giant Burmese pythons have invaded the Florida Everglades the giant Burmese python had adversely affect the environment because ever since the Burmese python started to invaded Florida Everglades marsh rabbits and foxes are nowhere to be found people say the chances of seeing raccoons, opossums and white-tailed deer have gone down severely.
The Burmese python has become a predatory species in the Florida Everglades. The Burmese Python has slowly been taking over the Florida Everglades eating small animals and causing massive destruction. The reason for this problem is the growth rate of the species occurring all over the Everglades. The ecosystem is perfect for the ever growing population of Burmese pythons in the Everglades. Pythons have migrated to the Florida Everglades by irresponsible pet owners and escaping from their homes.
The Burmese python has become an invasive species in the Florida Everglades. The reason for this problem is the rapid growth rate of the species occurring all over the Everglades. The species have become pets and then thrown in canals. They also escape from zoos and move from other states because of the warm moist weather. The environment is an excellent breeding ground for the ever growing population of Burmese pythons in the Everglades.
There are many different efforts in place to slow the population growth of the Burmese python. Due to the overwhelming amount of the non-native pythons in the Everglades (which is expanding to the Florida Keys and beyond) there has been a ban on Burmese pythons and 3 other constrictor snakes. On January 17, 2012 the Federal Wildlife service declared a ban on overseas imports of the snakes as well as interstate imports. That means the snakes are now illegal to bring into the United States as well as just transporting over state lines (BIG snakes, 2012). Although there is now a ban in place some feel that it is already too late to save the Florida Everglades. According to Steven A. Williams, former director of the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service (FWS) warns that invasive species are "the number one environmental threat to the United States."(BIG snakes, 2012) The federal government has spent billions of dollars trying to slow or stop the threat of invasive species.
In the 1980s the Burmese python was transported the United States as an exotic pet from Southeast Asia, but soon after owners began releasing the natural predator into Florida’s Everglades. The population of the python in the Everglades was estimated to be 5,000 – 180,000 in 2009 by South Florida Water Management
Clearly,the Burmese pythons are drawing hunters to the everglades. According to Andrew Ng in his 2013 article,”To address the problem,the state's Fish and Wildlife commission is sponsoring its first ever Python Challenge.” This means that people from all across the country will be coming to participate. This is a big deal because the hunters in this challenge are now fully allowed to kill these pythons and would save some of the animals that they're killing and bring in some tourist. Andrew Ng goes on to say,”prizes will be awarded in two divisions:one for novices and
Burmese Pythons is a non-native pest in the United States of America, which originated from South Asia. The species is becoming an established breeding population in South Florida and its environs. The python was illegally freed in the Everglades National park where the marshy grasses and water provide a conducive environment for its survival. Burmese python was recognized as a reproducing population around the year 2000. The python has been classified as an invasive species in Florida. The species has disrupted the ecosystem by preying on native species and out-competing them for food. The python is a successful invasive species because their large size makes it have fewer predators (alligators and humans) (Brown, 2006). Efforts have been put in place to manage the increase of the Burmese pythons due to the devastating effects it has caused in the ecosystem. Python removal and control is being done through dogs and human search. Dog search has recorded much greater success than human beings because humans cannot access some areas due to the thick vegetation.
The Burmese Pythons are negatively affecting the Everglades by disrupting the food chain. Andrew Ng, author of, “Florida’s Python Hunt”, quoted this from the article, “With no natural predators, these eating machines appear to be wiping out huge numbers of opossums, raccoons, and bobcats, as well as many bird species.” The pythons have no natural predators, so animals that
The Burmese Python is an invasive species that resides in Florida. Being 200 pounds and twelve to twenty-three feet long, the Burmese Python is recorded as being one of the six largest snakes in the world. The Burmese Python is originally from Southeast Asia and was supposedly
The Everglades National Park protects the largest wild life area east of the Mississippi River. The Everglades are the largest remaining sub-tropical wild life area in 48 states sitting on 1.5 million acres preserved at Florida’s tip off shore. The Everglades contain various ecosystems such as rivers, lakes ponds, marshes, etc. These wild life areas feature both fresh and saltwater areas, open prairies, pine rock lands, tropical hardwood forests, offshore coral reefs, and mangrove forests. This paper will summarize how humans contributed to the destruction of the Everglades and how man is working to save the Everglades. Since the Everglades is comprised of both fresh and saltwater areas the vast range of wildlife species in the Everglades include but not limited to reptiles, mammals, aquatic birds, etc. The vast spectrum of wildlife living in the Florida Everglades include but not limited to aquatic animals, mammals, reptiles, etc. Of this vast spectrum of wildlife living in the Florida Everglades there are 56+ species who are either endangered or are in jeopardy of being endangered. The Everglades are home to two National Parks, four National Wildlife Refuges, and one National Marine Sanctuary that bring almost 2 million visitors every year to experience this natural beauty located minutes from Miami Florida. The powerful environmental forces of sun, water, wind, and fire greatly affect the development and lifecycles of these
When animals are voluntary or involuntary let into the wild many native species can become threatened by animals that, in the foreign ecosystem, have no natural predators. Pythons in Florida is a great
The Burmese Python is one of many invasive species. These snakes are native the Southeast Asia. They were imported to the U.S. for pet trade. However, people who own these snakes sometimes don't realize they can grow up to 22ft and weigh up to 200 pounds. The size of these snakes prohibits them from being appropriate pets. As a result these animals are released into the wild. Not only does this affect the ecosystem, but it also affects the mammal and bird populations. In the
Scientist fear that huge 250 pound Burmese Pythons could spread from South Florida to much of the Southern United States. According to a survey report, pythons find ⅓ of the United States to be comfortable for them to spread. Snakes such as Burmese Pythons have shown to be highly adaptable. These snakes can slither at a constant rate of 20 miles, and they never stop moving. The Burmese Python have killed children who were mistaken for food and are unable to stop their instinctive reaction to coil and squeeze. However, Burmese Pythons will have to get past Florida’s alligators first. The absence of predators such as alligators can make these snakes’ journey much easier.