Python "Nightmare": New Giant Species Invading Florida

nationalgeographic. ^ | September 14, 2009 | Christine Dell'Amore

[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....

[ShadowAce]

Easier said than done, just ask a squirrel.......

Why'd the chicken cross the road?

To show the 'possum it could be done.

[dangerdoc]

They hardly move at all. The find a good hiding place and wait. When the strike, they move fast, but if you are that close, your gun probably won’t do you much good.

They would be very dificult to hunt.

[BJClinton]

But, aren’t these African American rock pythons?

Nah, these are illegal immigrants so they'd be Wetback Rock Pythons™.

[Gator113]

LMAO.

[BubbaBasher]

Don’t know what you’d do with all that snake meat (ugh).

Dog Food.

[JoeProBono]

[diamond6]

I couldn’t watch it.......who won?

[Nachoman]

Maybe they could train pit bulls to kill them.

[EricT.]

That’s all we need. A bunch of King Cobras crawling around Florida.

It's already happened. I saw a show on Animal Planet a while back about animal control officers in FL. In one week, they captured 3 different species of cobra, including a king cobra.

[SoDak]

Eating the dogs, deer, and gators American snakes won’t eat.

[mware]

That damn snake better stay away from my pup.

[JoeProBono]

[kalee]

ping

[JoeProBono]

LOL!

[wordsofearnest]

Yup just tell the coon asses they’re against the law & good to eat.

[Joe 6-pack]

"picture of python with mouth open hanging on fence. How far apart were the wires?"

Can't give you an exact figure, but here's the same snake with a guy in the photo for some sense of scale...

Read more about the circumstances here.

[Maceman]

A nearly fifty foot python was caught in Indonesia and is now in captivity.

Forgive me, but I am skeptical. Do you have a link to confirm the length of this animal?

[JoeProBono]

[SoDak]

Well, the fact is, ALL of these snakes need to be killed, post-haste.

[Two Kids' Dad]

I saw a TV show not too long ago where a village kept a huge snake and fed it various animals as a peace offering so it wouldn’t eat them (or their kids). It was at least 40 feet. I don’t know if my arms could reach around it at its widest point. Seemed docile, but was crazy big and I don’t know how long it’ll remain content to only eat the livestock.