Posted on 09/14/2009 11:51:51 AM PDT by JoeProBono
Already squeezed by the invasion of the giant Burmese python, Florida now faces what one scientist calls one of the U.S. state's "worst nightmares."
Africa's largest snake—the ill-tempered, 20-foot-long (6.1-meter-long) African rock python—is colonizing the U.S. state, new discoveries suggest.
Six African rock pythons have been found in Florida since 2002. More troubling, a pregnant female and two hatchlings have been found, which means the aggressive reptiles have set up house.
More dangerous than even Burmese pythons—which are known to eat alligators (alligator-python picture)—the African pythons are "so mean, they come out of the egg striking," said Kenneth Krysko, senior herpetologist at the Florida Museum of Natural History in Gainesville.
"This is just one vicious animal."
So far the giant snakes have been found only in a single square mile (2.6 square kilometers) of suburban area west of Miami. Pet breeders unprepared for the pythons' ferocity may have released them, Krysko said.
What's "really scary" is that the new invaders only have to cross the road to enter Everglades National Park, where Burmese pythons have already eaten thousands of native animals, he said.
With the addition of the rock python, Florida is now an established home-away-from-home for three large alien constrictors—including the Burmese species and the boa constrictor—according to wildlife biologist Robert Reed, who studies invasive reptiles for the U.S. Geological Survey in Fort Collins, Colorado....
(Excerpt) Read more at news.nationalgeographic.com ...
Normally I believe strongly that responsible adults should be free to do what they please as long as they harm no one else, but the sale of dangerous exotic animals to private individuals needs to be banned. It’s abundantly clear that many pet owners are simply turning these creatures loose to breed and wipe out native species, and even when they aren’t turned loose they can be a menace to family and neighbors (e.g. the chimp that chewed a woman’s face off a few months ago). It’s only a matter of time before some Burmese or Rock python kills someone.
serve's 'em both right.
Uh, because that would solve the problem rather than create a large bureaucracy to manage it?
looks like a Tums might have come in handy a few hours earlier.
“African rock python”
Excuse me! But, aren’t these African American rock pythons?
Kinda like this one....only real!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! ;)
I rootin for the snake...
But I have read that anacondas are very dangerous as they are ALWAYS ticked off.
Eeeeewwww ping.
i call Barbara Streisand (B.S.) on some of these pics, especially with the snake’s head in the fence. Those just CAN’T be real!!!!
Do these snakes move very fast?
Seems like it’d be a lot of fun to shoot them. You could probably make a nice pair of shoes or a briefcase out of their skins, if you were into that sort of thing.
Does anyone know how far the Pythons can go and get to such sizes in the wild? Georgia? Texas? California, Arizona?
I hate snakes! I HATE ‘EM!
I AGREE! (Sorry I yelled, but this is horrifying.) Time to eliminate the snakes and the make it illegal to keep them. Give violators jail time & exorbitant fines. Common sense says this type of predator is not a pet and does not belong in the general public. Not sure even a zoo should have them. Yuck!
That photo of the python’s open mouth goes well with your tagline!
I hate snakes, but those shoes are kind of pretty. Though it would creep me out to wear them! I’d be afraid they’d come back to life and get me. Sounds like the making of a scary movie doesn’t it?
Joe,
what kind of fence is that? what is it designed to keep in/out?
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