Whats Your Opinion?

[CaitJaye]

http://articles.washingtonpost.com/2...eptile-keepers

http://www.bloomberg.com/news/2012-0...-invasion.html

http://www.takepart.com/blog-series/paw-and-order/2012/02/12/army-hires-aussie-dogs-hunt-pythons-everglades

I've always heard a lot about the ecological problem in the Florida Everglades. I'm just curious as to what everyones opinions are for handling the situation and what should be done about it, since I feel like reptile owners have a better understanding of snakes then the majority of the population.


Personally I'm dissapointed in people for causing this problem in the first place. Irresponsible handling leads to the hunting down of a whole species in a general area.

[sorraia]

The problem started with people, not the snakes. People acquired animals they were probably not truly capable or prepared to deal with when those animals matured and became larger than that juvenile in the pet store. It is tantamount to people who buy that cute puppy in the window with the floppy ears and waggly tail. Soon that puppy turns into a nippy dog that chews up remotes, expensive shoes, handbags, and more, poos and pees on the carpet, jumps, barks, drools, etc. Much of which could have been avoided or lessened if preparations were made before acquiring the dog, and if research was done to learn about the dog's breed, mature size, activity level, etc. The difference here is people are able to find someone to take their dog, or dump the dog in a neighbor's yard, at the local animal shelter, or even just tie it to a fence for someone to find. (I do not agree with all of these actions, but this is what people do to dogs they no longer wish to keep.) People see snakes as wild animals (and true they are), so instead of turning them into a shelter, or finding a new home for them, they dump the animals into the wild. They do the same for turtles, lizards, frogs, toads, even fish. These animals are "wild", so they must be returned to the "wild". The people doing this don't think ahead to the consequences of their actions. They aren't going to see those consequences immediately, or be directly affected by those consequences, so it really isn't a concern to them. The majority of those dumped animals probably do not survive, because they are not adapted for the conditions in which they are dumped, or do not have the right food source, etc. Of those animals who do survive, most probably don't reproduce and thrive, again because conditions are not right, and/or there aren't enough of that animal to allow it to find a mate and continue the cycle of life.

The problem is when conditions ARE right for that species. Burmese pythons aren't the only reptile that has become invasive and a problem to native wildlife, but they are one of those most widely publicized. Most likely this is due to their large size and notoriety. (Think a pit bull versus a labrador... both dogs bite, both dogs can cause serious harm, but which dog is going to be plastered all over the media when a bite happens?) In Southern California, where I live and work, we have problems with many exotic animals, including reptiles and amphibians. Myself and coworkers (biologists) have found red-eared sliders, spiny soft-shelled turtles, bullfrogs, and African clawed frogs in our monitored areas, all of which are exotic, invasive, and thriving in our location. These animals are eating and competing with our natives. Since their introduction there has been a great decrease in the populations of native animals, including other reptiles and amphibians, including our native Western pond turtle (which is now every hard to find in our area). These species aren’t alone. We are also have the same problems with non-native fish, such as several species of catfish, carp, other sportfish, and believe it or not, even goldfish! Those fish are also eating our native wildlife. There have been anecdotal reports of large pythons in our area too. In the last few years I’ve heard of two actual sightings (one claimed a 12 foot snake, another gave a more realistic estimate of a 5 foot python), and see photo evidence from a coworker depicting the tracks of a large snake (tracks were almost as wide as a car tire). There is no current evidence these snakes are actually surviving through our winters though. Regardless, the problem here is the same as Florida: People acquiring animals they are not capable or prepared to deal with who then decide to release those animals into the wild when they no longer want to care for them. But when it comes down to it… which is the general public going to be more concerned with: That little green turtle you can buy in the pet store that tops out at around 12 inches in length, or that 17 foot man-eating python? (Even though the python will probably not actually eating people, this is what the general public believes.) These pythons aren’t the only problem out there, but they are the most widely publicized.

That being said, I don’t know what the answer is. Some of the people I work with are making efforts to remove some of the exotic animals in our area, but it is doubtful those efforts are having any real affect on the animals themselves. Since the areas are so different between here and the Everglades, I can’t even begin to imagine what kind of efforts would be required to control the pythons there. And in all reality, the efforts are going to have to be focused on control, because complete eradication is probably unlikely. I personally do not like having to think about the control of one animal, but unfortunately that is something that sometimes needs to be done in order to protect a threatened, sensitive, unique, and diverse system and allow it to persist. (And for the record, I feel this way regardless what species it is, whether it be reptile, amphibian, fish, bird or reptile. A large part of my company’s work actually does involve control of a bird species. Many of us feel this way about feral and free-roaming cats. Funny thing about cats is because become very angry when you talk about controlling them…)

ETA: The article about using dogs to track the snakes is very interesting too. I've sat in on talks about research using dogs to track other species, not just to hunt down and control those species, but also in research studies to identify and count threatened species, and aid in their recovery and management.