Wild 8ft Burmese Python found in the Florida Everglades!

[Macropodus]

All joking aside, they probably really are adapting to the cold, growing larger and faster than ever before. Natural selection would favor larger specimens in Florida more so than in continental Southeast Asia.

1) larger mass would be more likely to withstand Everglade cold snaps that are nonexistent in Burma. Reptiles don't generate their own body heat but a 100 pound Burm loses heat less rapidly vs a 10 pounder.

2) the significant decline in the population of small and medium prey leaves primarily only larger prey, e.g. deer, which fall prey most easily to the largest Burms. Significant declines in populations of raccoons, possums, bobcats, etc, have already been noted.

They're beautiful snakes really, just a shame they've become invasive.

[se7en]

i haven't been down to the everglades in just over a year. last time i was there, only saw a few birds.

might have to go down again next weekend, since there are no NFL games scheduled.

[cchardwick]

Personally I think those guys are wasting their time trying to kill all of the Burmese pythons in Florida. it's like going in your back yard and stomping on ants every day hoping you'll kill them all, it will never happen. Especially since every snake can have about 50 eggs every year. I think it's time to accept that they were once an invasive species but now they are a natural part of the ecosystem and the ecosystem will have to adjust and adapt. in 10,000 years there will still be Burmese pythons in Florida, at what point to we call them a natural part of the environment? And if you think about it on a geological scale over millions of years I suppose you could consider human beings an invasive species in Florida LOL.

[Sallos]

NOT my drawing- an amusing thing someone posted about the burmese pythons in Florida.