Like the alligators-living-in-the-sewers urban legends of the 1980s, the release of thousands of Burmese Pythons in Florida could create a new ecological disaster, and could threaten the lives of Americans.
The Problem with Pythons
The problem with pythons is simple: no 250-pound reptile is meant to be kept as a pet. In the wild, Burmese pythons roam through the woods and hunt, and their instincts cannot be squelched by captivity.
Left unchecked, domestically kept pythons retain many of their natural qualities. This can turn extremely dangerous when the snake’s wild instincts take over. For years, owners have lost pet dogs, cats and smaller mammals, which would normally suffice as the animal’s diet, but in a household setting proves devastating for owners.
The tragic repercussions of python ownership sprang to the forefront of the national psyche in July, 2009, when a man’s python killed his girlfriend’s two-year-old daughter. The infant reportedly died when the snake tried to crush her skull, in order to swallow her as food.
Python owners frequently find themselves unable to cope when their scaly friend reaches 20 feet in length and starts to demand an endless supply of live food. Unable to find new homes, the frazzled owners turn to desperation, and release the pythons into the wild. There, they’re free to breed and live freely, and the consequences could have far-reaching effects.
Ecological Ramifications
The spread of pythons, in conjunction with the spread of global warming, creates serious ramifications for the country’s ecosystems. Scientists estimate the number of wild pythons to be in the tens or hundreds of thousands, all competing with indigenous predators for prey.
As of now, the pythons only survive in the southernmost parts of the United States, especially the Everglades region of Florida. However, scientists are currently trying to discern whether or not the snakes can survive farther north.
In that vein, researchers in 2009 moved several pythons to a pit in South Carolina, where they planned to monitor the snakes’ physiological responses to the environment for a year. The scientists hope the snakes’ responses will indicate whether or not the feral pythons will migrate.
As the snakes dominate their new surroundings, they do so at the expense of the region’s indigenous species. Autopsied Florida pythons have been found with bobcats and whitetail deer in them, which puts a string on those animals’ already-diminishing numbers.
Solutions
Lawmakers have begun to combat the problem by proposing restrictions on the python trade. A bill introduced by Senator Bill Nelson (D-FL) offers to immediately classify Burmese pythons as an “injurious species,” which would then ban their importation and interstate trafficking.
However, the pet industry is fighting that bill, claiming that it would be detrimental to the reptile industry. Currently, importers and breeders of the giant snakes earn a combined $10 million a year in Florida alone.
In order to combat the wild snakes, Florida Gov. Charlie Crist (R), commissioned bounty hunters to track down any pythons not in homes, national parks or reptile refuges. Unfortunately, pythons are difficult creatures to capture, and the government has yet to set a firm cost assessment for the project.
While none of the proposed measures are foolproof, they do indicate a concern of the national psyche. The Burmese python problem may garner enough attention long enough to arrive at a conclusion, or it, like so many other issues, may eventually fade to obscurity.
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