Ball pythons an Invasive species?!

NERD just posted and so here it is for you guys

"Here is an excerpt from the review article:

“The last chapter in the book is titled “Other Species at Risk
of Becoming Established in the United States.” Seven species
are briefly discussed; six are species that were featured in Reed
and Rodda (2009), and are included in the proposed action of
the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service to list ten species of great
constrictors on the Injurious Wildlife List. The seventh is Python regius, ball pythons, one of the most popular captive
snakes in the world with more than a million animals in this
country. The authors warn that this species is likely to become
invasive.
From the review article of the book:
www.vpi.com/sites/default/files/BarkerBarker_Review_InvasivePythons-2011.pdf

sometimes I just hate people.

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Originally Posted by The Serpent Merchant

sometimes I just hate people.

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In what sense? In that you don't agree with the assessment that they could become invasive, or that you are frustrated (as I am) with irresponsible pet ownership?

Lol I think I will not be purchasing this book! :rolleyes:

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Originally Posted by krinklebearcat

In what sense? In that you don't agree with the assessment that they could become invasive, or that you are frustrated (as I am) with irresponsible pet ownership?

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In the sense that false information and fear-mongering are presented as fact that will likely influence legislation. Please read the Barkers' review of the book (linked by the OP).

When they start taking drastic countermeasures against the invasive feral cats that keep crapping in my flowerbeds I'll consider the dangers of a ball python infestation.

Until then it's worrying about piss ants while the elephants stomp you as far as I'm concerned.

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Originally Posted by krinklebearcat

or that you are frustrated (as I am) with irresponsible pet ownership?

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Do you truly believe that radicalized Eco-terrorists would be above intentionally releasing pets in an attempt to help them outlaw what they see as immoral slavery?

Another thought to ponder: In that massive animal release in Ohio a couple months ago, why do you suppose a guy with keys to all his pens & enclosures would bother with painstakingly cutting all that metal fencing apart by hand before killing himself? I am not saying he was murdered [wasn't there, don't know one way or another] but it sure sounds like someone took advantage of the situation to intentionally release the animals.

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Originally Posted by The Serpent Merchant

sometimes I just hate people.

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that just means your sane......maybe. too bad it the book was so poorly written with remedial grammar and language. It may have made an interesting read as an opposing view to my own.

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Originally Posted by krinklebearcat

In what sense? In that you don't agree with the assessment that they could become invasive, or that you are frustrated (as I am) with irresponsible pet ownership?

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I am frustrated with irresponsible pet ownership as well, but I really see ball pythons establishing themselves here as a real long shot. Sure we have places with ideal environments for them...but ball pythons lack in 2 areas where most other successful invasive species do not.

1) They never become The Predator...they are a predator, but there will always be bigger, hungry things that will eat them...raccoons, foxes, coyotes, bobcats, etc...

2) They do not proliferate nearly to the extent of burms, boas, retics, rocks, and so many other species, reptile, fish, mammal, etc...

Taking those 2 things into account, I just don't see it.

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Originally Posted by krinklebearcat

In what sense? In that you don't agree with the assessment that they could become invasive, or that you are frustrated (as I am) with irresponsible pet ownership?

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As has been said I don't support irresponsible pet ownership but that really isn't the issue here.

first off if you think that a snake from africa can become an invasive species anywhere but Florida in the US you are nuts. They barley can survive here (I live in florida and have yet to see a non-native snake)

also has been said before the issue of cats becoming an invasive species is actually a real one. I see stray cats every day, but as I just said I have yet to see a stray snake.

The whole burmese pythons in the everglades thing is a bunch of BS, they didn't get there because of pet owners releasing them into the wild but it was when a research facility in Miami got hit by a hurricane (I've been though my share of hurricanes: Charlie, Francis, Ivan, and Jeanne, just to name a few, all went through where I lived at the time) If a snake is going to get released into the wild I would say that getting hit by a hurricane and having your entire building leveled is a pretty good excuse.

It's also difficult to imagine ball pythons becoming a major problem, if they somehow managed to establish a population somewhere. The US has a well established population of similar-sized rodent eating snakes. Ball pythons would be in competition with them, but their lifestyle doesn't lend itself to their being more successful than the natives. They aren't go-getters the way many of the natives are. I think our raccoons, skunks, and opossums would make short work of them.

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Originally Posted by WingedWolfPsion

It's also difficult to imagine ball pythons becoming a major problem, if they somehow managed to establish a population somewhere. The US has a well established population of similar-sized rodent eating snakes. Ball pythons would be in competition with them, but their lifestyle doesn't lend itself to their being more successful than the natives. They aren't go-getters the way many of the natives are. I think our raccoons, skunks, and opossums would make short work of them.

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While I realize this is an older article, I would like to point out that there are more and more Ball Python sightings in the "wild", stretching from Florida, Georgia and across the Gulf Coast States to Texas. Just recently one had escaped form a careless, irresponsible owner here in my area of the Greater New Orleans area, and has been sighted living in the sewer system and in a few other people's yards, even in these last few months where we have been going through some very cold temperatures that this region produces, in the low 40's and even high 30's. They adapt, and breed and can and are becoming an evasive, invasive nuisance creature.

Oh, and we have a rather large population of Raccoons, coyote, gators, etc. They aren't keeping them at bay.

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Originally Posted by observer

While I realize this is an older article, I would like to point out that there are more and more Ball Python sightings in the "wild", stretching from Florida, Georgia and across the Gulf Coast States to Texas. Just recently one had escaped form a careless, irresponsible owner here in my area of the Greater New Orleans area, and has been sighted living in the sewer system and in a few other people's yards, even in these last few months where we have been going through some very cold temperatures that this region produces, in the low 40's and even high 30's. They adapt, and breed and can and are becoming an evasive, invasive nuisance creature.

Oh, and we have a rather large population of Raccoons, coyote, gators, etc. They aren't keeping them at bay.

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Unless you live on a very small, ecologically isolated, tropical island that does not already have issues with cats, rats, pigs, or brown tree snakes - then shut the heck up over snakes that can't get bigger than a few pounds.

I can see ball pythons being outlawed in that kind of situation, but here in the continental u.s its plain stupid. Honestly, at this point, there is nothing legislature will do to remove all of the invasive species that affect the country. Maybe don't allow huge import quarantine facilities of animals and plants to be held in a port city in a mild climate that can be hit by strong hurricanes and floods :/

If the warehouses that supposedly "released" many of the pythons in the everglades had been in Manhattan instead of Miami, we would not be having this problem. Poor planning.

I did my final thesis in school on ways to track and estimate invasive populations of large reptiles in the everglades specifically and on how far these populations could in the best case scenario theoretically spread - and maintain a breeding population lasting several generations. Given the best guess models that would leave Florida, Georgia, Alabama, Mississippi, Louisiana, extreme east-ish Texas, and possibly extreme southern south Carolina - so at most 7 out of 48 states. While feral hogs are in 35 states.

Yes there is a problem of invasive species in the everglades, it is a sensitive and unique environment that is easily impacted. When I was writing my paper (2016) over 800 ball pythons had been found, almost none within Everglades state park - they were all in Miami. And ranged from normal morphs to piebalds. Thing is, everything can eat ball pythons, so its safer in the urban environment where there are less predators. Few things can eat the big guys once they get over a few years old and a certain size.

BPs just don't have the impact significance that the others do. Heck, the Eastern Indigo Snake gets so much larger - a big male will push 8ish ft and 10ish lbs.

Ooops - didn't realize that this was such an old post lol. anyway....