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Burmese pythons have been damaging the natural ecosystems of South Florida for decades.
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The python was recently first discovered in a wildlife sanctuary in Palm Beach County.
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Invasive pythons compete with native species and there are no natural predators in the area.
Burmese pythons are heading further north in Florida, according to recent sightings in Palm Beach County.
The pythons were invasive in Florida, thrived in the southern parts of the state, including the Everglades National Park, and had a major impact on the natural ecosystem.
Multiple sightings of giant snakes have now been reported in the Arthur R. Marshall Roxahatchie National Wildlife Sanctuary, at the northernmost tip of the historic Everglades Wetlands. Palm beach post Reported this week.
“Finally, unfortunately, I witnessed a Burmese python inside a shelter,” Frank Mazzotti, a professor of wildlife at the University of Florida, told the post.
According to the post, officials in the South Florida Water Management District are currently strategicing ways to contain the growing threat of pythons in the region, but efforts to contain snakes elsewhere in the state have been completely successful. I have not.
Wild pythons were first reported in Florida in the 1980s. Biologists believe that the python population in South Florida was established after pet owners were tired of taking care of giant snakes and released them into the wild.
Since then, snakes have overtaken the region, preying on small mammals and competing for food with other native species. They do not have natural predators in the area to help control their numbers.
NS study What was announced in 2012 is associated with a sharp decline in multiple native species. Researchers have found that raccoon, opossum, and bobcat populations have declined by 99.3, 98.9, and 87.5% since 1997, respectively. Other species, such as the Marsh rabbit, the cottontail rabbit, and the fox, have “virtually disappeared.”
NS study The timing and geographical pattern of population decline was found to be consistent with the increase and spread of pythons.
It is legal to hunt pythons on private land at any time with the permission of the landowner and without the need for permission to control the python population. Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission Encourage people to do so.
There are also some states and regions Python removal programIncludes free training for anyone who wants to learn how to hunt pythons, and a paid team of python hunters that people can sign up for.
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