Python versus Gator, Scientists Hard at work feeding the Propaganda Machine

I saw a piece of this show "Python versus Gator" on the National Geographic Channel. Apparently some scientists (I'm sure graciously paid for by our tax dollars) are trying very hard to prove that burmese pythons are monsters capable of destroying all life in the Everglades. I expect shows like this from Animal Planet but am a little surprised at NGW.

They began their experiment by taking a dead, half-rotting alligator and thrusting it in the python's face... repeatedly. The frightened python tried it's best to escape but it was followed around the tank, constantly being poked with an alligator. The team of scientists were dumbfounded that this 'ecosystem destroying monster' wouldn't eat a meal in front of (and repeatedly bounced off of) its face.

Finally, in an "ah hah!" moment, they decapitated a rat, peeled the face off, and literally sewed it over the gators face. The burmese did in fact strike at this rat/gator abomination and the experiment was deemed a success. The show concluded Pythons are a dangerous apex predator that will readily eat gators.

I was dumbfounded by this and just wanted to share the low level of propoganda that is being run. This is the sort of pseudo science (sewing a rat face over a gator's) that is behind the Federal Python Ban and is fueling the 'python epidemic'.

http://www.soqueaocontrario.com.br/w...-Chan-Meme.jpg

I think this is the video.

NGC used to be pretty informative, but so did the History Channel, Animal Planet, and the Discovery Channel. Not so much anymore...

Everything in the media is sensationalized.

Unfortunately we all like to watch Jersey Shore more than anything of intellectual value.

At the end of the day TV is there to be entertaining. The real reason this is sad is because people are too dumb to separate fact from fiction.

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Originally Posted by xdeus

I think this is the video.

NGC used to be pretty informative, but so did the History Channel, Animal Planet, and the Discovery Channel. Not so much anymore...

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Yes, that's the one. The "ratgator" occurs about 30 min in.

I love how they used a 4 ft python and a 2 ft gator to show how adult pythons could swallow animals 8 times their weight and 2/3 their length. Totally makes sense.

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Originally Posted by reptiliachnids

http://www.soqueaocontrario.com.br/w...-Chan-Meme.jpg

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best response to this post. anything else out of me would probably get me banned, LOL.

Edited to add, as much as it is gonna just make me mad watching this, is there a link to this to wach it?, maybe get a name to contact and blast on their total stupidity and misinformation? stuff like this just needs to be addressed.

in canada, dont have hotshield, therefore video is blocked.

they seem to exagerate on tv but i say they are just trying to bring attention on y these animals are let loose after owners cant care for them anymore and that their size can make them dangerous in a way when their hunting for food.. i got nothing against owning burms but if people cant care for them when they reach past 12ft then they shouldnt get one

Interesting that they had no problems finding video of gators in the wild, but the only footage of apex predator pythons was staged.

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Originally Posted by JaGv

they seem to exagerate on tv but i say they are just trying to bring attention on y these animals are let loose after owners cant care for them anymore and that their size can make them dangerous in a way when their hunting for food.. i got nothing against owning burms but if people cant care for them when they reach past 12ft then they shouldnt get one

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I agree that people should not own any living creature that they are not going to properly care for but where is your evidence that large numbers of irresponsible pet owners are releasing their Burmese into the wild?

My understanding is most of the wild Burmese originate from two hurricanes that destroyed zoos and breeding facilities.

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Originally Posted by Jabberwocky Dragons

I agree that people should not own any living creature that they are not going to properly care for but where is your evidence that large numbers of irresponsible pet owners are releasing their Burmese into the wild?

My understanding is most of the wild Burmese originate from two hurricanes that destroyed zoos and breeding facilities.

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you could be right zoo and breeding facilities.. as far as evidence no one is going to admitt to dumping snakes in the wild got none for you

The zoos and breeding facilities is the generally accepted theory among herpers....but outside of that, no one cares enough to look into it so they all think it was released pets.

I'm sure some pets were released at some point, and they definitely don't help the problem. But the chances of them being the main cause for it are slim, though incalculable, because as JaGv pointed out, you can never tell who is and isn't telling the truth about releasing animals.

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Originally Posted by Jabberwocky Dragons

I agree that people should not own any living creature that they are not going to properly care for but where is your evidence that large numbers of irresponsible pet owners are releasing their Burmese into the wild?

My understanding is most of the wild Burmese originate from two hurricanes that destroyed zoos and breeding facilities.

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There is none .Genetic study of the everglade burms show two every important things
1:they have limited genetic differential, ie very closely related
2: they are not related to burms from Vietnam, which is important because that has been the the sole source of imports since 1994

http://www.usark.org/uploads/FloridaBurmGenetics.pdf