Startled by a Python
By Jeff Moffitt
@moffittjc (128824)
Gainesville, Florida
February 25, 2016 10:12pm CST
A buddy of mine, who is a Parks Director in a community in south Florida on the fringes of the Everglades, was conducting a routine inspection of one of his parks this morning, when he walked up on a large python that had settled itself on a foot bridge to catch some rays on a chilly morning.
It is well known that pythons have adapted well to the swampy environment of the Everglades, and have bred voraciously over the past several decades. to the point where they are now well established. Experts believe the pythons were first introduced into the wild in south Florida when pet owners either let them go when they got too big to keep in captivity, or as a result of them somehow escaping from pet stores. Either way, it didn't take them long to make themselves at home in the Everglades.
It's not often that the big snakes turn up in civilization, but as their populations continue to grow, it is inevitable that they'll start moving into urban areas. Obviously, this very scenario has happened in my friend's community. It looks like my friend the Parks Director now has one more thing he has to worry about in his parks, in addition to alligators and mosquitos!
9 people like this
8 responses
@VivaLaDani13 (60812)
• Perth, Australia
12 Apr 16
I don't know if I've ever seen a python before. For some reason I feel like I had. But maybe I haven't because you think seeing a friggen huge snake would be very memorable. But I'd hate to bump into one.
I can't even stand a mosquito bite let alone a snake or alligator chewing on my legs...not that I've had that happen lol Although, as small as a mosquito is, they can do some serious damage also.
A policeman here in Western Australia was left paralysed and brain damaged after a mosquito bite. Very sad and quite alarming how a small bug ruined someones life.
2 people like this
@moffittjc (128824)
• Gainesville, Florida
13 Apr 16
If the crap you see on Facebook is to be believed, it would appear Australia is overrun by creatures that are going to kill us all! Spiders, crocs, snakes, etc...apparently you guys have it all there! I'm surprised you don't have pythons too! Oh wait, I just have to search harder on FB...I'm sure there is something on there about Australia being overrun by pythons! lol
1 person likes this
@moffittjc (128824)
• Gainesville, Florida
14 Apr 16
@VivaLaDani13 We get the same thing here in Florida. People think our state is overrun by alligators and pythons and disease-carrying mosquitos! If all that were true, we wouldn't be the vacation paradise of the US, and we wouldn't be the 4th most populated state in the country! lol
2 people like this
@VivaLaDani13 (60812)
• Perth, Australia
13 Apr 16
@moffittjc lol yeah it's funny how people have this idea in their heads that Aussies are in danger all the time from some animal or insect. It really depends which state you're in.
1 person likes this
@Daljinder (23193)
• Bangalore, India
26 Feb 16
Holy- schmoly!! Weren't alligators enough? Now python too??
2 people like this
@Asylum (47893)
• Manchester, England
26 Feb 16
@moffittjc Yes, I recall an incident in which an alligator was eaten by a python.
@moffittjc (128824)
• Gainesville, Florida
26 Feb 16
@Asylum I'm sure it's quite common in many places where these giant pythons live.
1 person likes this
@moffittjc (128824)
• Gainesville, Florida
26 Feb 16
Well, so far no people have gotten eaten by pythons, but i'm sure it's just a matter of time! During the special python hunt authorized by the state last year, one of the snakes brought in measured 18 feet (5.5 meters) in length! They have already documented these pythons eating alligators and deer, so they definitely have a voracious appetite!
1 person likes this
@moffittjc (128824)
• Gainesville, Florida
26 Feb 16
These pythons are breeding so fast that the government is now authorizing a special hunting season to help control their population numbers. They have no natural predators here, since they are an exotic species. They even eat alligators!
@LadyDuck (502198)
• Italy
26 Feb 16
@moffittjc I never saw iguanas in Florida years ago. I remember I have seen them when I visited Aruba, the island in front of Venezuela.
@moffittjc (128824)
• Gainesville, Florida
26 Feb 16
@LadyDuck They've only exploded in population growth over about the past five years. Same thing with the pythons. Both are a relatively new phenomenon to south Florida, but with natural predators they are breeding like crazy! There are millions of them all over the place now!
1 person likes this
@moffittjc (128824)
• Gainesville, Florida
26 Feb 16
Florida is such a conducive environment for all these exotic pets to thrive once they are released or escape into the natural environment. Iguanas (native to central America) are also taking over in south Florida. They are literally everywhere, as they have no predators. Maybe the pythons will start eating them all!
1 person likes this
@JudyEv (381815)
• Rockingham, Australia
26 Feb 16
Are they a danger to the public? We have pythons in Australia. The carpet python used to be allowed to take up residence in farm barns as they kept the mice and rat population at bay. I haven't heard much about them recently.
@moffittjc (128824)
• Gainesville, Florida
26 Feb 16
So far the pythons have not been a threat, but their populations continue to expand to the point that it's only a matter of time before they take up residence in urban areas. Then we'll start to see cats and dogs go missing, and then I'm sure it's only a matter of time before a small child goes missing and is found in the stomach of one of those things! They can grow as long as 18 feet (5.5 meters). Recently, a python was captured with a 6-foot (2 meters) alligator in its stomach!
1 person likes this
@moffittjc (128824)
• Gainesville, Florida
27 Feb 16
@JudyEv It's all a wasted effort though, because they breed so profusely. We catch and kill 100 snakes, and meanwhile 10,000 more are born! At some point, their population will have to level out in order to maintain a balanced ecosystem, but until they reach that threshold their population is expanding rapidly.
1 person likes this
@JudyEv (381815)
• Rockingham, Australia
27 Feb 16
@moffittjc No wonder they're trying to get rid of them. That's really scary.
@41CombedaleRoad (5966)
• Greece
26 Feb 16
Your friend has a very fascinating job, a dangerous one too if he is not careful. I've never been to the Everglades and I doubt that I ever will now, but it would be a great adventure if I did.
@JamesHxstatic (29410)
• Eugene, Oregon
26 Feb 16
I read that there was a bounty on them and a roundup of sorts scheduled. How did that effort go?
@moffittjc (128824)
• Gainesville, Florida
26 Feb 16
They did the first hunt last year, and it wasn't as successful as they had hoped. I think they only rounded up about 75 or so snakes. They didn't realize how elusive those suckers could be! I think they had the second hunt already this year, although I'm not 100% sure on that. If they did, I didn't hear anything about it, although I do remember the state saying they were going to have the hunt again.
