Giant pythons eating Everglade mammals at ‘astonishing’ rate
From rabbits to deer to even bobcats, invasive Burmese pythons appear to be eating through the Everglades’ supply of mammals, new research shows.
Since the giant constrictors took hold in Florida in 2000, many previously common mammals have plummeted in number—and some, such as cottontail rabbits, may be totally gone from some areas.
Scientists already knew from dissecting the 20-foot (6-meter) snakes that they prey on a wide range of species within Everglades National Park.
But this is “the first study to show that pythons are having impacts on prey populations—and unfortunately those impacts appear to be pretty dramatic,” said study leader Michael Dorcas, a herpetologist at Davidson College in North Carolina.
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Top Opinion
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JanHopkins 2012/01/31 13:48:21
Purchasing these species ..
NOT understanding that they will grow .. change .. get bigger ..
NOT caring when they get to big where they DUMP them ..
(especially when these people KNOW That hurricane shelters won't accept these types of 'pets' in the first place)
(and yes, there's many who give no thought at all to dumping them outside into rural areas or national/state parks) ..
They continue to grow .. eat the native species .. reproduce .. continue to expand their 'diets' ..
and with no natural predators .. these exotic invasive species destroy the native habitat just by being dumped there ..