Over 1,500 hunters help capture 50 pythons in FL

Associated Press via Miami Herald ^ | February 5, 2013

[PJ-Comix]

MIAMI -- More than 1,500 participants of a monthlong python challenge have helped to capture 50 Burmese pythons in the Florida Everglades.

The Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission updated the counts Tuesday for the "Python Challenge." The competition began Jan. 12 and ends Feb. 10.

The invasive snakes killed in the Everglades are processed and logged by University of Florida researchers who examine each one hoping to learn more about the elusive species.

No one knows for sure how many pythons live in South Florida. Wildlife officials say eradicating pythons from the Everglades was never the goal of the challenge. Instead, they hoped to raise awareness about the snake's threat to native wildlife and the fragile Everglades ecosystem. The snake faces both state and federal bans.

[PJ-Comix]

LOL! Only one Python captured per 30 hunters.

[BenLurkin]

Yeah, but the local sales rep for Jack Daniels probably did very well.

Serious question: Do Pythons make good eats?

[American in Israel]

Yeah, that worked well.

[Georgia Girl 2]

“Serious question: Do Pythons make good eats?”

Well they make good boots.

[allendale]

They should feed 500 neutered stray cats python and then release them in the Everglades. Cats are ferocious hunters and will create havoc in python nests. Better than euthanizing unwanted cats.

[bigheadfred]

These people need to get to Cali PRONTO. Seems like they gots a snake on the loose.

[Joan Kerrey]

More than 1,500 participants of a monthlong python challenge have helped to capture 50 Burmese pythons in the Florida Everglades.

1400 Hunters missing.

[Boiling point]

Wow, I misread that and thought it was a 50 foot python!

[Boiling point]

Wow, I misread that and thought it was a 50 foot python!

[momtothree]

I’m not a hunter. I know very little about it ... that being said, how does one truly “hunt” a python? You can’t set a trap, can you? I imagine you just sort of wander around and hope you find one.

[AnAmericanMother]

I kid you not, they are now training dogs up at Auburn University to sniff out the pythons.

They do a lot better at it than the human hunters.

Two dogs caught 19 snakes.

EcoDogs Sniff Out Pythons in the Everglades

There's a film -- two hyperactive black Labs that look pretty much like my hyperactive black field trial Lab, a/k/a "Psycho Ruby".

[null and void]

Or they could just release this...

It only infects pythons and constrictors, none of which are native to the area..

[RedMDer]

Freepers, your Contributions make every difference!
Please keep ‘em coming! Thank you all very much!

[Drew68]

We have the hip-hop crowd to thank for this. Seems if you're a thug, wannabe thug or admirer of thugs, you need a fighting dog and a black-market constricting or venomous snake to maintain your street-cred. Eventually, you come to realize that owning these creatures is a huge pain in the ass so you release them into the 'Glades where a lack of natural predators allows them to thrive and multiply.

Now we've got to hunt them down. Just as well. I could use a new pair of boots.

[Salamander]

“We have the hip-hop crowd to thank for this. Seems if you’re a thug, wannabe thug or admirer of thugs, you need a fighting dog and a black-market constricting or venomous snake to maintain your street-cred”

Really?

[ASA Vet]

Do Pythons make good eats?

Can't speak about pythons but boa tastes good.

[VeniVidiVici]

They said on the news that there are probably about 15,000 of them. Though you have to wonder how they come up with that number.

[hinckley buzzard]

They tend to be immobile for long periods and almost impossible to see in the tall grass. They also can lay up to 40-50 eggs at a time so eradicating them by hunting is a nonanswer. They are a real ecological snafu. Maybe we can breed wild boars to take a liking for snake meat. Nothing less will stand a chance against them.

[hinckley buzzard]

No. I heard a wildlife guy talk about that. Unfortunately their meat stinks to high heaven. Even a taxidermist can hardly stand to work on them.

[Drew68]

Really?

You think these snakes just magically teleported themselves over here?