Florida's Great Python Hunt
By Jeff Moffitt
@moffittjc (128824)
Gainesville, Florida
February 28, 2016 9:24am CST
The state of Florida's second python hunt in the Everglades ended with mixed results. Out of the tens of thousands of Burmese pythons that have taken up residence in the Everglades, only 106 snakes were caught in the recent government-sanctioned hunt. In one respect, the invasive, non-native reptile's population numbers were not significantly reduced; on the other hand, scientists now have more snakes to study to help determine just exactly how they are surviving and thriving in the hot, humid environment of the Florida Everglades.
The largest snake captured was 15 feet long (4.5 meters), and the second longest snake was just under 14 feet long (4.3 meters). All snakes captured will be dissected and analyzed to reveal further information about the snakes diets and living conditions.
On the snakes examined so far, researchers found one that had eaten a fawn (baby deer), and another that had eaten a wood stork. They suspect that the most common animal they'll find in the snakes' bellies are wading birds, since this is the time of the year when the birds all migrate from the north to spend winters in Florida.
Now if the state will only sanction a program to capture all the iguanas running loose in south Florida...
18 people like this
18 responses
@moffittjc (128824)
• Gainesville, Florida
28 Feb 16
They get their revenge by breeding more snakes!
3 people like this
@andriaperry (118793)
• Anniston, Alabama
28 Feb 16
omg! I could NOT do that job. I am not fond of snakes. If one could eat a deer it could eat a child.
4 people like this
@moffittjc (128824)
• Gainesville, Florida
28 Feb 16
That's one of the big concerns in south Florida. With over 8 million people living in urbanized areas around the Everglades, it's only a matter of time before a small child gets eaten. They have already been spotting the pythons in suburban neighborhoods. Right now, they seem content eating household pets like cats and dogs, but what happens when there are no more loose pets in the neighborhoods to eat?
2 people like this
@Marcyaz (35316)
• United States
1 Mar 16
@moffittjc
I wouldn't even want to see one of those large snakes, keep them away from me or I'd be right next to you having a heart attack.
@moffittjc (128824)
• Gainesville, Florida
28 Feb 16
They can grow to as large as 18 feet long. The bigger ones can eat 6-foot alligators and adult-size deer. But there's worse one that has got officials even more worried, and that is the green anaconda, which has been spotted several times now. Those snakes can get even larger than the pythons, and are more aggressive.
1 person likes this
@moffittjc (128824)
• Gainesville, Florida
29 Feb 16
@Marcyaz I wouldn't mind seeing one, as long as it was moving AWAY from me! If I saw it coming toward me, I'd absolutely have a heart attack!
1 person likes this
@Marilynda1225 (91013)
• United States
28 Feb 16
I'm always amazed at how a snake can devour something as big as a fawn. I'm not a fan of snakes but I know they have their place on earth. Guess it's good that they can study how they can thrive so well in the Florida everglades
2 people like this
@moffittjc (128824)
• Gainesville, Florida
28 Feb 16
In it's natural environment, a balance is achieved when the native ecosystem learns to keep the populations of all species at sustainable levels. However, the pythons are not native to Florida, and therefore they have no natural predators (panthers, tigers, and other big cats mostly). So, with nothing to eat the snakes, there is nothing to keep their population in check.
3 people like this
@moffittjc (128824)
• Gainesville, Florida
28 Feb 16
My dad came across one on the road at night that was so big it stretched from one side of the road to the other. My dad said it must have been at least 15 feet long, if not longer. He stopped when he saw it in the road, because he wasn't sure what it was, but said that had he known it was a python, he would have just run it over.
1 person likes this
@moffittjc (128824)
• Gainesville, Florida
28 Feb 16
@DianneN I love your new profile picture, by the way! You look great!
1 person likes this
@fishtiger58 (29819)
• Momence, Illinois
28 Feb 16
I have heard these are mostly pets that grew to big and were released by their owners. What a shame that people are so incredibly stupid. These invasive creatures can damage the environment which they are not native to. 15 and 14 feet long that is scary.
2 people like this
@moffittjc (128824)
• Gainesville, Florida
28 Feb 16
Yes, that is exactly how the snakes got introduced into the wild! That, and escaping from pet shops. Either way, the damage has been done. That's how iguanas have gotten loose in south Florida as well. Those stupid giant lizards are everywhere now! And even more troubling is reports that a handful of green anacondas have been spotted in the Everglades. The anacondas are even bigger and more threatening than the pythons!
2 people like this
@moffittjc (128824)
• Gainesville, Florida
28 Feb 16
@fishtiger58 People are pretty much tolerating the iguanas, because in a way they are kind of neat to see, and are not really a threat to anyone. They are funny during the winter, because once the temperature drops below 40, they become catatonic and drop like rocks out of the trees!
2 people like this
@fishtiger58 (29819)
• Momence, Illinois
28 Feb 16
@moffittjc Yes we northerners have heard all the horror stories about those snakes. Didn't know about the lizards yikes.
@louievill (28846)
• Philippines
28 Feb 16
I saw the documentary on one of the cable channels, I remember mention that the Burmese pythons were already challenging the alligators in the Everglades who were suppose to be at the top of the natural food chain, exotic pets let loose in the wild would sometimes affect the natural ecosystem of a place.
@louievill (28846)
• Philippines
1 Mar 16
@moffittjc this is my closest encounter with a Burmese python, a couple of years back (please do not try this at home cause I did it like with like 3 or 4 expert snake handlers on the side), my son who is now grown up insisted that we have the picture taken ( we were the only one in their class who was brave enough to do so), this is a huge one, it's like a sack of cement on your back
, and sorry for the picture cause the kids messed with it so we seem to have dark glasses and I cannot find the original.
It's really a huge one, probably 12 feet plus, and you have to have some knowledge of snakes to control one cause it's a very strong creature ( note how i hold the head) and some people holding the tail (not in picture).
, and sorry for the picture cause the kids messed with it so we seem to have dark glasses and I cannot find the original.
It's really a huge one, probably 12 feet plus, and you have to have some knowledge of snakes to control one cause it's a very strong creature ( note how i hold the head) and some people holding the tail (not in picture).1 person likes this
@moffittjc (128824)
• Gainesville, Florida
28 Feb 16
You are correct. The alligator WAS at the top of the food chain, but now that title is being challenged by the pythons. The big snakes are known to eat alligators!
@moffittjc (128824)
• Gainesville, Florida
2 Mar 16
@louievill That's a cool picture! Most have been quite an experience! The largest one I ever held was 8 feet, which is really nothing compared to a 12-footer! What is really scary about those snakes is that I'm willing to bet that snake your holding could have easily swallowed your son.
1 person likes this
@LadyDuck (502148)
• Italy
29 Feb 16
@moffittjc I know, we have vipera (aspis) living on the rocky sides of the mountains. They are not big, but their are venomous. When you go mountain hiking in summer, you can see plenty of baby snakes half hidden under the rocks. We always bring with us a snake bit kit.
1 person likes this
@moffittjc (128824)
• Gainesville, Florida
28 Feb 16
Each female snake can give birth to about 100 baby snakes. That shows how fast they can grow their numbers. And with no natural predators, most of those baby snakes will make it to adulthood.
1 person likes this
@moffittjc (128824)
• Gainesville, Florida
29 Feb 16
@LadyDuck Are those snakes aggressive at all? I know most snakes will try to retreat before they will try to strike. But some snakes are aggressive and will try to attack you right from the get go.
1 person likes this
@garymarsh6 (23979)
• United Kingdom
28 Feb 16
106 pythons. Oh my word they are breeding like rabbits. Those irresponsible people who dumped them in the wild need shooting. They should never be allowed to own a pet if caught. I also hear that some have released cobra's into the wild in Florida too. That is plain mental. I think you can safely say Florida is now off my travel list. I wanted to visit there too but now I am sure I won't be going anywhere near.
1 person likes this
@garymarsh6 (23979)
• United Kingdom
28 Feb 16
@moffittjc I would like to visit the Keys I hope that they have not reached that far down?
1 person likes this
@moffittjc (128824)
• Gainesville, Florida
28 Feb 16
@garymarsh6 No, you would be safe in the Keys. Still a great place to visit! I was just down in the Keys a couple of weeks ago. Love it down there!
2 people like this
@moffittjc (128824)
• Gainesville, Florida
28 Feb 16
Gary, you don't have to worry! These snakes are all out in the Everglades, a vast swamp like wilderness in southern Florida. It's not exactly the type of place that tourists visit when they come to Florida! You can go to about 90% of the rest of the state and not have anything at all to worry about! So please plan on visiting us soon!
2 people like this
@BACONSTRIPSXXX (18025)
• Torrington, Connecticut
1 Mar 16
Thats the one thing I dont like about Florida, beautiful state and all but on my last trip we had two mishaps, one with a wild alligator and another with tons of snacks in the garage of the house we rented for our vacay
1 person likes this
@moffittjc (128824)
• Gainesville, Florida
2 Mar 16
Okay, the alligator encounter I expect, as those suckers are all over Florida. But I'm very curious about the snacks in the garage! What's the story on that?
1 person likes this
@BACONSTRIPSXXX (18025)
• Torrington, Connecticut
2 Mar 16
@moffittjc They nested at the entrance of the garage where their was a big messy garden ungroomed, they said they were garden snakes and harmless but after seeing more than 3 my hairs stood up lol
1 person likes this
@moffittjc (128824)
• Gainesville, Florida
29 Feb 16
I'm sure that python hunting will get more and more popular in due time.
2 people like this
@VivaLaDani13 (60812)
• Perth, Australia
17 Apr 16
Holy mother of crap batman! That's freaky! I'm not all that bothered by snakes but a big one like that? Hell to the no!
1 person likes this
@moffittjc (128824)
• Gainesville, Florida
17 Apr 16
Yeah, it's crazy how big they get. And unlike their native ecosystems where there are natural predators to keep their population in check, here in Florida they have no natural predators, so there is nothing to stop them from multiplying in large numbers. And since they can eat anything and everything they can catch, there is nothing to stop them from getting huge. We're going to have a big problem with these snakes long into the future!
1 person likes this
@Scindhia (1906)
• India
29 Feb 16
Its scary to hear about a python hunt. Hope they capture everything.
@moffittjc (128824)
• Gainesville, Florida
2 Mar 16
@Scindhia The state plans on doing the hunts once a year. You have to get a special hunting license and go through a special training class in order to hunt the snakes. They are quite deadly creatures, so the state doesn't just want to let anyone go out and hunt them, for fear of someone getting hurt. The hunt is offered in the winter time, because that's when the snakes are the slowest due to the cold weather.
1 person likes this
@moffittjc (128824)
• Gainesville, Florida
29 Feb 16
They'll never capture all of them. There are just too many, and they are very elusive.
1 person likes this
@JohnRoberts (109841)
• Los Angeles, California
28 Feb 16
How did these pythons and iguanas get introduced to Florida? There are tens of thousands of pythons, seriously?
@moffittjc (128824)
• Gainesville, Florida
28 Feb 16
They were released into the wild by pet owners, when the snakes got too big to keep in captivity. Also, they suspect that many got loose from pet stores back when Hurricane Andrew leveled Miami.
@moffittjc (128824)
• Gainesville, Florida
28 Feb 16
@JohnRoberts Definitely! There's been other exotic pets that have been released that are now starting to cause havoc as well, although you don't hear too much about some of the other ones. The Cuban tree frog is another one that is destroying local ecosystems.
@JohnRoberts (109841)
• Los Angeles, California
28 Feb 16
@moffittjc These damn pet owners that get animals like that and release them. The messes they have created.
@jaboUK (64346)
• United Kingdom
28 Feb 16
@moffittjc Oh sheesh, they need to get back out there and capture some more!
1 person likes this
@moffittjc (128824)
• Gainesville, Florida
28 Feb 16
@jaboUK It's an ongoing battle, but they're trying. They are very elusive creatures, and very difficult to catch. This is the time of the year when it's the easiest, because the cold weather drives them out in search of warm ground and sunshine, plus being reptiles they can't move as fast when their body temperature is low.
1 person likes this
@moffittjc (128824)
• Gainesville, Florida
28 Feb 16
Each female python can give birth to 100 babies at a time, so really capturing 106 did very little to stop the population explosion. But its a start.
1 person likes this
@JESSY3236 (22199)
• United States
29 Feb 16
I couldn't do that job. I'm not really scared of snakes, but I wouldn't be able to kill it.
@moffittjc (128824)
• Gainesville, Florida
29 Feb 16
Well, in this case it is kill or be killed! lol. If I even suspected for a second that a snake of that size was intending to eat me, I would do whatever I could to take that sucker out!
