Burmese Pythons In The Everglades

There are over 150,000 Burmese pythons in the everglades when there should not be any. These invasive snakes are slowly eating away the precious ecosystem of the Everglades. Scientists don’t know what to do about them and the Everglades might not last much longer. The intrusive Burmese pythons are ruining the beautiful Everglades and its unique ecosystem. The Burmese python is a very intriguing reptile. These carnivores can grow up to 20 feet long and have a diet of mostly small mammals and birds. They have scales that make beautiful colors and patterns which is probably why they are common choices for pets. They do not have venom but do possess other means of hunting. The pythons have sharp, curved teeth which dig into the animal they are hunting. As the animal tries to escaping it is just digging itself deeper in to the python’s teeth. Once the prey is weak the snake strangles it to death and eats it whole. They use chemical receptors to sense heat for finding food. “The pythons are extraordinary breeders with voracious appetites to match (paragraph 4).”They come in many interesting colors and sizes. The presence of these snakes is taking a large toll on the ecosystem of the everglades as well. Since the pythons have arrived
many animal species that were once very populous, have begun to disappear. They are eating through all the animals they can find and will eat almost anything that moves, even other pythons and snakes. When they eat the smaller animals they are even hurting the animals much bigger and stronger than them by taking their food. One more thing is that they are growing so high in numbers that it will be nearly impossible to get rid of them. They are a huge nuisance and are destroying the everglades slowly but surely. “Native to the grassy marshes of Southeast Asia., the pythons are among the largest snakes in the world (paragraph 1).” They are growing in numbers ranging in the hundred thousands.
The reason that these snakes are here is them being brought over as pets. When they grow much bigger than their owners had expected they do the worst thing possible and release them into the wild, where they make their way to the everglades. Another reason they are in the everglades is hurricane Andrew. This storm destroyed many warehouses which contained over 900 pythons. Nearly all of them escaped into the everglades. They are very hard to catch and will multiply very fast, posing a huge problem for scientists and people trying to stop
them. Nothing can really be done right now but scientists are still working to find solutions to the problem. “Scientists have not found any way of eliminating constrictor snakes once they become established in the wild (paragraph 8).” A few years ago a Python challenge was made In Florida where people around the world could come and hunt the pythons for prizes and to help with the situation. Only a few dozen were actually caught, but it accomplished its goal of raising public awareness about the pythons. Another python challenge will be held next year around January and February. Some experts say that a freeze in southern Florida might be the answer, but that would harm the citrus crops. Hopefully something is done to get rid of these snakes. To conclude the Burmese python is destroying the ecosystem of the everglades and may result in extinction of some animals in the national park. People irresponsibly choosing them as pets has caused this. There is not much scientists can do based on how far it has gotten. I have feeling that they aren’t going to be leaving anytime soon.