By now, you likely know that the Burmese Python is an invasive species to the Everglades, causing a lot of destruction. You’ve probably seen several articles of python hunters catching huge pythons and removing them from the Everglades, so they won’t breed or kill any more native wildlife. By reducing the number of pythons in the Everglades, hunters are helping bring a balance back to the ecosystem to the Everglades.
Now, researchers are finding that the Burmese pythons are threatening wading bird nests in the Everglades. It was always known that pythons eat wading birds, but now this is the first time that researchers have documented pythons eating nestlings. Researches from the University of Florida found that there is more python activity on islands with wading bird colonies than those without bird. In a study, the researchers caught snakes eating eggs and young birds on camera five times more than racoons, rat snakes, and other predators.
Unfortunately, it has been estimated pythons have already eaten/killed more than 90 percent of mid-sized mammals in the Everglades. Pythons can eat more than their own body weight and grow up to seven feet long in their first year of life. Researchers are worried bird species will be wiped out in the Everglades, especially since they aren’t prepared to deal with this invasive predator.
The answer to restoring the wildlife balance in the Everglades lies in the reduction/eradication of the pythons. To get a permit to hunt for pythons, click Everglades python permit page.
The pythons lower animal populations by eating them, but they also harm the population who eats them! These snakes’ bodies hold high levels of mercury, which can poison any animal or reptile that eats them. The pythons’ presence is changing the entire ecosystem of the Everglades
If python hunting isn’t your thing, visit the Everglades in a much more relaxing way… on an airboat tour! An airboat tour will give you a glimpse of the Everglades’ native, wonderful wildlife that is still around, despite pythons. To book a tour, click the Captain Mitch’s Everglades Airboat Tours page or call 239-695-3377.
