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Hum two different animals have invaded the south which NEVER belonged here naturally but by different causes. In the Glades it's Pythons due both accidental and on purpose releases into the wild. The second non native problem which feeds on small game is Yotes. A third prevalent issue issue harmful to the environment because they destroy or severely damage property is wild hogs which usually is escaped hogs off farms that go feral quickly. I'll ignore the hogs vs other animals in this debate as they mainly destroy ground area.

Coons and possums are scavengers. They go where food is. If food is present even in town so are these two. Believe it or not Yotes the same thing. I chased one down a highway one night inside Oak Ridge, Tennessee. Rabbits are generally more rural animals relying on thickets, briar patches and over grown fields. BTW I've seen deer browsing on an exit ramp on I-75 in Knoxville, Tennessee. What I am saying is urban sprawl is not an argument in animals disappearing because those animals adapt. I lived in thew city when I was about 7-10 and we had plenty of possums and tree rats. Diseases and natural animal killing animal food chain, added with the specific animals natural food source found in most yards even in town for the most part determine health and population of these animals.

I don't live in the extreme boonies. I have 4 neighbors on my road and only two families live here full time. I can walk out the back or front door in the spring and see deer, turkeys, lots of rabbits, coons, tree rats, possums etc. Unfortunately I also have Yotes {confirmed kill by one of my allowed hunters}. Yotes take a lot to eat due to size and I would imagine a 200 lb snake to survive would need a considerable meal as well much more so than a caged one. I'm talking about adult snakes in the wild unrestrained and needing the energy to survive. What would be the only possible natural balance for a Python in the Glades capable enough to have an impact on reproduction? The only thing comes to mind is a full grown Gator.

Now around my parts it's not that unusual for a small dog or cat to go missing in a matter of a minute. IF this happens an hour or so before dark to up to a couple hours after sunrise a Yote is a strong possibility as to the reason.

IF the states east of The Mississippi River had been on their toes they Yote infestation could have been stopped by a bounty being set. A Python round up in an area they do not belong native too also makes sense. When I go outside my house at night to let my Rat Terrier out I carry a firearm. Why? Yotes. I can hear them CLOSE sometimes as in a hundred feet away. The snakes need to go and owners no matter if for reasons of pet or research need to be responsible and accountable if they escape. I say the same about the ever increasing Lion and Tiger rescues or anyone keeping wildlife as pets or for whatever purpose.