April 2, 2023

The Burmese python doesn’t belong in Florida’s natural environment, but has been spreading there for years. Now one such snake swallowed an alligator whole.

Tallahassee – Hardly any other US state has such a diversity of species as sunny Florida. But in addition to friendly dolphins and colorful pelicans, you will also encounter more dangerous animal species in the “Sunshine State”. Alligators, however, are no longer the greatest threat. The Burmese python isn’t native to the Florida ecosystem, but is fast becoming the top of the food chain. With serious consequences for the local wildlife.

Florida: 1.5 meter long alligator found in Burmese python

The geoscientist Rosie Moore, who works in Florida, posted a video in November last year that has lost none of its topicality and is representative of Florida’s snake problem. However, the footage is not for the faint of heart: it shows a five-metre-long Burmese python – also known as a Burmese python – which is slowly being cut open and gradually revealing an approximately 1.5-metre-tall alligator. It has been viewed more than 100,000 times on Twitter alone, and 400,000 times on Instagram – with some controversial comments. “What goal has been achieved here? Now they’re both dead,” laments a Twitter user, adding wryly, “Oh wait, we have a cool video. Thanks!”

The animal was handed over to the research laboratory for scientific sampling, the scientist Moore explained the background of the video on Instagram. There is a law in Florida that mandates the euthanasia of Burmese pythons. Not without reason: According to estimates by biologists, around 150,000 snakes live in Everglades National Park in southern Florida alone. However, the Burmese python does not belong in this ecosystem. First brought to the state as pets, then abandoned by their bored owners, these exotics are now a threat to native species.

Because of South Florida’s subtropical climate, combined with the long lifespan and rapid reproductive rate of Burmese pythons, these snakes have been successful in invading ecologically sensitive areas like Everglades National Park, according to researcher Rosie Moore of Florida’s snake problem. The python population is now threatening a large number of wild animals “since the pythons have a wide range of diets,” the scientist pointed out. Apparently, whole alligators are also on the snakes’ menu, as the video shows.

Florida competition: Whoever catches the most Burmese pythons gets $10,000

Florida is approaching its snake problem in a rather American-style way, involving guns and big bucks. In the “Florida Python Challenge”, which takes place once a year, around 1,000 participants have to kill or “remove”, as the organizer puts it, as many Burmese pythons as possible. The grand prize of $10,000 goes to whoever kills the most Burmese pythons. Last year’s winner “removed” 28 animals.

This is “an exciting conservation effort that will help protect the rare Everglades habitat and wildlife from these invasive non-native snakes.” the website of the 10-day event. Since 2000, the US state of Florida has removed around 17,000 Burmese pythons from the wild, up from 230 last year alone. This is according to the Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission.

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