Vote for BP.Net for the 2013 Forum of the Year! Click here for more info.

» Site Navigation

» Home
 > FAQ

» Online Users: 3,068

0 members and 3,068 guests
No Members online
Most users ever online was 6,337, 01-24-2020 at 04:30 AM.

» Today's Birthdays

None

» Stats

Members: 75,031
Threads: 248,490
Posts: 2,568,453
Top Poster: JLC (31,651)
Welcome to our newest member, isismomma
Page 2 of 2 FirstFirst 12
Results 11 to 14 of 14
  1. #11
    BPnet Senior Member WingedWolfPsion's Avatar
    Join Date
    09-27-2007
    Location
    Plattsmouth, NE
    Posts
    5,168
    Thanks
    124
    Thanked 1,785 Times in 1,134 Posts
    Images: 1
    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.
    --Donna Fernstrom
    16.29 BPs in collection, 16.11 BP hatchlings
    Eclipse Exotics
    http://www.eclipseexotics.com/
    Author Website
    http://donnafernstrom.com
    Follow my Twitters: WingedWolfPsion, EclipseMeta, and EclipseExotics

  2. #12
    Registered User
    Join Date
    03-01-2022
    Posts
    2
    Thanks
    0
    Thanked 0 Times in 0 Posts

    Re: Ball pythons an Invasive species?!

    Quote Originally Posted by WingedWolfPsion View Post
    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.

    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.
    Last edited by observer; 03-01-2022 at 11:20 PM.

  3. #13
    Registered User
    Join Date
    03-01-2022
    Posts
    2
    Thanks
    0
    Thanked 0 Times in 0 Posts

    Re: Ball pythons an Invasive species?!

    Quote Originally Posted by observer View Post
    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.
    Last edited by observer; 03-01-2022 at 11:21 PM.

  4. #14
    BPnet Veteran Crowfingers's Avatar
    Join Date
    09-27-2015
    Location
    Hayfield Virginia
    Posts
    909
    Thanks
    416
    Thanked 691 Times in 400 Posts
    Images: 11

    Re: Ball pythons an Invasive species?!

    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....
    Last edited by Crowfingers; 03-02-2022 at 08:40 PM.
    No cage is too large - nature is the best template - a snoot can't be booped too much


Page 2 of 2 FirstFirst 12

Posting Permissions

  • You may not post new threads
  • You may not post replies
  • You may not post attachments
  • You may not edit your posts
  •  
Powered by vBadvanced CMPS v4.2.1