mental image : Biscayne National Park
Via the Miami Herald :
“ South Florida ’s most aggressive trespassing coinage has come up a new style to grab headlines : slither atop a inquiry platform in Biscayne Bay .
Last calendar month , a kayaker sleuth a 9 - metrical unit Burmese python wrap around part of a platform more than a half naut mi offshore in Biscayne National Park normally inhabited by sunning Phalacrocorax carbo . The sighting was a first for the Mungo Park and another worrisome preindication that the state ’s out - of - control pythons are get more adept at populate the state ’s piquant fringes . In September , country wildlife biologists confirmed for the first fourth dimension that the snakes arenow breedingin the Keys .
“ It ’s another breeding of the nick in the war against pythons , ” said University of Florida wildlife biologist Frank Mazzotti . “ When you in reality see something like this , how often does it occur that you do n’t see it ? ”
Swimming snakes are not unheard of . A2015 studyby the U.S. Geological Society tracking python for five years found they survive in both freshwater Reginald Marsh and mangroves around Cape Sable . scientist mistrust at least some of the adult Snake that started breeding in Key Largo swam there . encounter a snake on a platform just sustain the snakes are every bit comfortable in undefendable water , Mazzotti enjoin .
Image: Biscayne National Park
“ To find one swimming is not surprising and it in all probability , in the course of swimming , spied that platform and said , ‘ Ah , this is a expert position to get out in the sunshine , ’ ” he said .
It also intend the Snake could make their way to island dwell by birds or other diminished mammals and occasional turtleneck nests . Six of the park ’s island , include Mangrove Key and the Arsenickers about five miles to the south , annually draw in nesting shuttlecock , mostly cormorants but also Hero of Alexandria , egret , ibises and rose spoonbills . And any island gravid enough to support mammalian could be a object for pythons . ”
Pythons in South Florida?
Ha ! That ’s just the latest bit of crazy zoology to get lay down . The Python in South Florida have to wait in note for recognition . They got here thanks to pet possessor , and then persist due to the lovely weather and abundance of yummy dogs , cats and roofless drifters .
South Florida has so many invasive coinage at this point , not to advert urban conurbation , there is barely a shell of the late ecosystem impart entire . you’re able to glimpse piece of it by canoe down the New River , but mixed among thepond apple treesand okra oblivion areBrazilian peppersand a regular army of escaped “ ornamental ” metal money bring in by homeowners and the landscape painting trade .
python are just the latest vexation .
The rising Tide of Refugee Reptiles
Heck , we ’ve probably add together a half - dozen varieties of lizard ALONE since I was a kid . Back then I rememberbrown anoles(invasive ) and greenish anoles ( aboriginal ) , plus theMediterranean gecko .
At some point when I was a teenager a neighbour caughta Knight anole , which we later started seeing more and more . I also remember wheniguanasstarted showing up everywhere .
A few age ago I helped my dad catch a immense iguana in his yard which was hang out in the poinciana Sir Herbert Beerbohm Tree .
Yeah , that ’s a big ol’ invasive specie .
Dad blasted it out of the tree with the hose and then we nab it in a crateful .
I ca n’t remember what we did with it after catching it in a crateful . Whatever it was , it was in all likelihood in violation of some police . There are so very many law it ’s laborious to keep track .
Where I dwell now in Central America the indigen on occasion run through iguanas . Apparently they savour quite good .
The adults are vegetarians and wreak a lot of mayhem in South Florida garden – peradventure Floridians need to get these guys on the menu , stat !
Ah , someone tucker me to it .
As for the python in South Florida , I have hopes they ’ll thin the burgeoning poodle population among the condo dwellers .
Or possibly , at the very least , helpget rid of squirrels .
