YES they are doing it!! (the FL laws for large snakes)

[Sputnik]

Is there any proof that they are actually breeding successfully in Florida?

I haven't seen or read anything, so I ask the question....

[Colin Vestrand]

this is like gun control... the laws are idiotic and only effect law abiding citizens which, in the end, has little to no effect.

[littleindiangirl]

If you do a search, you can find the captured and killed amount of Burmese in the everglades for the past 5-10 years... I think it was something like 13,000 when I was looking... could be massively wrong about that

[littleindiangirl]

Edit: I have no clue where i saw 13,000, I may have dreamed that number up

[LadyOhh]

Is there any proof that they are actually breeding successfully in Florida?

If you trust the source...

http://news.nationalgeographic.com/n...species_2.html

"The pythons are now most certainly breeding in the park. They have been found eating gray squirrels, possums, black rats, and house wrens. Perhaps even more worrying, the pythons may be preying on native mangrove fox squirrels and wood storks. And they could be competing with the eastern indigo snake for both prey and space. The eastern indigo snake is listed as threatened by the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service."

[LadyOhh]

Edit: I have no clue where i saw 13,000, I may have dreamed that number up

http://www.flmnh.ufl.edu/Fish/southf...ewild2004.html

68 from 1990 to 2004... Probably way more, but not close to 13,000....

Another from 2005:

http://www.msnbc.msn.com/id/9600151/

"It is unknown how many pythons are competing with the thousands of alligators in the Everglades, but at least 150 have been captured in the past two years, said Joe Wasilewski, a wildlife biologist and crocodile tracker."

[littleindiangirl]

I found this one too

http://www.sptimes.com/2005/10/16/St...m_tough_.shtml
In the past three years, Snow and others at the park have captured 156 pythons, some big (15 feet) and some small (foot-long hatchlings). Almost all have been euthanized. Snow knows there are more out there, lurking in the marsh: female pythons have been found with some 40-50 eggs inside.

[joepythons]

Well beware as the other states will follow.See what a few ignorant idiots can cause

[Sputnik]

Having collected X amount of specimens doesn't prove they are breeding, many are released by irresponsible owners. I'm more interested in data on found clutches.

[wolfy-hound]

Once again I will point out that Miami is the center for importation of reptiles. Miami is right next to the Everglades. Hmm.
How many of us SERIOUSLY belive that an irresponsible owner will DRIVE down to the Everglades to dump an unwanted snake? Do you really believe that THAT MANY irresponsible owners live next to the Everglades and dump them there?

The South Florida and Everglades rarely EVER have severe freezes, so some pythons can survive there. I will not believe that a warm-weather species python will survive through extended freezing temputures. How many pythons have lived in the wild anywhere other than South Florida?

While I would love to see potential owners made aware of the difficulties of owning a giant, and love the idea of MAKING sure the owners are responsible prior to selling them a giant, this law doesn't really do much to make that happen.

How many times have you heard of someone mailing snakes through the US Postal service? That's Federal Law. Yet it happens all the time. People who don't want to be bothered with permits or chips will simply buy one elsewhere, thus punishing the legitimate reptile dealers. There's plenty of sellers online that would ship you whatever you want, without asking a single question. There's sellers online that will sell you a venomous species without asking. How much easier will it be to buy a 'harmless' giant python?

While I like it as an idea, I doubt the new law will do anything other than make way for the next law, which will be even more prohibitive.