The Burmese Python in the Everglades
What is 23 feet long, as wide as a telephone pole and eating up the Everglades? Why, it is the Burmese python. First, the python is different from other snakes. Secondly, it has had a massive effect on the area it has invaded. Thirdly, it has gotten there through many means. And finally, we are helping to stop this invasion. The invasive Burmese pythons are leaving a wake of destruction in the delicate ecosystem of the Everglades.
First, we need to understand the structure of the Burmese python. The Burmese python is powerful, and with its massive strength can eat anything to soothe its appetite. Among the largest snakes in the world, the python can be as long as 23 feet and sport a girth as wide as a telephone pole. This carnivorous snake has no venom and instead relies on its strength and back-curving teeth to take down its prey. Even though these snakes have poor eyesight, they have found ways to hunt unlike the average snake. It finds its prey by using …show more content…
One such effort was an event hosted in 2013. The event was named the Python Challenge. The purpose of the Python Challenge was to increase awareness. During the event it was a come one come all python hunt. Pedro Ramos, the superintendent of the Fish and Wildlife Commission, said “We all have to be part of the solution, and while nobody expects the Challenge to significantly reduce the python population, its value in creating public awareness is great (Paragraph #12).” Even though the event only managed to capture 68 pythons as compared to the thousands living in the Everglades it satisfied its purpose. Data collected during the challenge was used to better understand the python’s behavior. This data helped influence the choice of time for the 2016 Python Challenge, which will be in the winter months when it is easier to find the pythons because they are sunning