Pythons take over the Florida Everglades
It seems that the growing population of pythons in the Florida Everglades has taken its toll on the other wildlife in the area.
A recent study shows that the populations of species that once dominated the region have depleted as a result of python predation. After surveying the land from 2003 to 2011, researchers discovered that raccoon sightings dropped 99.3 percent; opossum sightings dropped 98.9 percent; and bobcat sightings dropped 87.5 percent. The rabbit population inside the glades seemed to have vanished.
“Pythons are wreaking havoc on one of America’s most beautiful, treasured and naturally bountiful ecosystems,” Marcia McNutt, director of the U.S. Geological Survey, said in a statement.
The python specimen established a home in the Everglades after being released into the wild by former owners or escaping captivity. Pythons are legal pets in the United States.
Efforts are being made to prevent the spread of pythons to other areas in the country. The Obama administration passed legislation banning the importation and interstate trade of the Burmese python, two other African python species and the yellow anaconda. Despite these containment efforts, the reticulated python and boa constrictor are still able to be shipped freely in the United States.
“We need more research into methods to limit the population spread,” study author Michael F. Dorcas asserted.
