Burm hunt video

[Mendel's Balls]

Honestly I think that killing of a species we deem as invasive is ignorant always have and this is not just the case of snakes. I believe that an animal that can survive in an environment should be allowed to they further develop North America's weak ecosystem and help natural selection in the areas they establish themselves in. I know they were introduced improperly however this is the case with many non native plants and animals that end up becoming a positive change in the ecosystem. Humans have always wanted to control the earth and the ecosystem and we will eventually be the most negative impact on it ironically.

/end rant.

Mendel I think you have done a great job trying to convey my thoughts on this issue.

I do want to clarify that in this case I do favor the current attempts of humans to eradicate Burmese pythons in the Everglades. The Burmese would never have established itself in the Everglades if it weren't for zoos and hobbyists keeping them. They would never have naturally expanded to Florida from India in such a short time frame without human intervention. I think the fact that herpers are trying to solve the problem (even if it was mostly due to Andrew's dissemination of zoos and pet shops) can only be seen as positive PR. Rapid change is never a good thing for ecosystems. And eco-tourism is important to the economy of Florida.

However, while I don't agree with everything he said, I do think envy_ld50 is correct in saying that some invasives can get overly bad rap.

Furthermore, some invasion and ecological change is expected. Humans are an agent of change and this isn't necessarily always such a bad thing. Furthermore, some species will need to scarified to maintain the agricultural productivity necessary to feed human populations and drive economic development.

Some of envy's words in this thread as well as some the articles I referred to above also made me thinking of the following scenario.

What if the current eradication efforts fail? Maybe Burmese are really entrenched in the ecosystem? Should we try another eradication approach? How far should we go?

What limits a Burmese population in their native range? (I dont think this known!) What if its some sort of herpetological virus? Should we release it? What about some sort of pesticide spraying? Would that risk damaging non-target native herps? At what point, does the solution becoming worse than just accepting the fact they are there to stay now?

I don't believe we are anywhere near that level yet.....but its worth considering. Eradication efforts can be very costly and environmentally hurtful without much benefit if taken to extremes.