![]() These traits are the necessary tools for survival in Florida’s relatively cold weather. During brumation the snakes will go to a warmer place, like an underground burrow, and enter into dormancy until the weather warms. ![]() 9 Burmese pythons were also discovered using brumation as a technique for surviving the cold weather. 9 Temperatures in the nest were measured and showed to be warmer than surrounding temperatures outside, helping to provide insulation for the clutch. 9 Temperature data loggers placed in brooding mother’s nests showed that the snake was using shivering thermogenesis to survive and keep her eggs alive. 4 However, it was discovered that these snakes are surviving using a unique form of thermoregulation, one that the Burmese python has never been recorded using. 4 Florida’s average low temperature is about 12☌ (54☏), which may prevent the pythons from digesting food in the very cold winter months. Burmese pythons need a minimum temperature of 0☌ (32☏) for survival and 16☌ (61☏) for digestion, and Florida is known to drop below freezing on rare occasions. They are unable to survive in very low temperatures for long periods of time. 6 Burmese pythons are cold blooded and adapted to the warm weather of the subtropics of South Asia. One of the main questions for researchers is how these snakes are surviving the cold temperatures, and if they will spread further into North America. Photograph by Lori Oberhofer, NPS, 2008, Wikimedia Commons. There have been several documented cases where these large predators predate on one another. Both the American Alligator and the Burmese Python frequent the Florida Everglades. 10 Another impact of these snakes is a lack of food for other animals, especially other predators. Burmese pythons nearly large enough to break the world record have been recorded. 11 With no natural predators, the pythons are thriving and growing to large sizes. 2 In dissections of these snakes, all variety of wildlife in the Everglades has been found, including household pets. 5 Large numbers of birds, especially songbird populations, have also been in a recorded decline since the introduction of this invasive species. 1 Another study tracked and monitored Marsh rabbits to discover that Burmese pythons were accountable for 77% of rabbit deaths, which was larger than the control group with no pythons where 71% of deaths were caused by native predators. 1 This is evidence of top down pressure on all the species below the pythons on the food chain. 1,3,5,8,11 Road surveys done after the introduction of the pythons, discovered a decrease of 98.9% for opossum, 87.5% for bobcats, 99.3% for raccoons, and a 100% for rabbit observations. ![]() One of the previous top predators, the American Alligator, has been observed being eaten by these huge snakes (Figure 3). 1,2,3,5,8,11 Burmese pythons have the ability to eat prey much larger than itself through unhinging its jaw, and therefore there is no animal safe from this predator in the Everglades. Since the invasion of these snakes in 2000, there has been a large decline in many animal populations across the Everglades. ![]() 1,5,8 Therefore, the population of these snakes is not being naturally controlled. As an invasive species, the python has no natural predator in Florida, making it an apex predator in the area. Public Domain.īurmese pythons are having a significant impact on the ecosystem and biodiversity in the Everglades and surrounding areas. Courtesy of Terminija, 2013, Wikimedia Commons. 9,11 The Burmese Python became an established invasive species which is thriving and threatening the ecosystem of Florida’s Everglades.įigure 2. 9,11 Enough of these snakes were released that a large, wild breeding population rooted in Florida. 1,2 Many unprepared owners released these snakes into Florida’s Everglades after they grew too large to handle. 3,8,9,11 However, many owners did not realize that this species of snake was one of the five largest in the world and may grow to over 5.5 meters (18 feet) in length. 3,6,9,11 As a popular pet species, many were brought to the United States. The Burmese python ( Python molurus bivittatus) is a species native to the tropics in South and Southeast Asia. Burmese Python (Python bivittatus) in the Florida Everglades. Can the Florida Everglades control these populations or will the natural biodiversity continue to suffer? Figure 1. Burmese Pythons are an established invasive species in Florida that have no natural predators. What started out as a popular pet species, is now threatening an entire ecosystem. 1.4 Invasive Species Burmese Python (Python bivittatus) and its Effect in Florida Lindsey A.
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