Pythons linked to Florida Everglades mammal decline (BBC)

[eppur_se_muova]

By Paul Rincon
Science editor, BBC News website

Burmese pythons, originally kept as pets, are the likely cause of a severe mammal decline in Florida's Everglades.

A team studied road surveys of mammals in the Everglades National Park before and after pythons became common.

Researchers found a strong link between the spread of pythons and drops in recorded sightings of racoons, rabbits, bobcats and other species.

In PNAS journal, they report that observations of several mammal species have declined by 90% or more.

The national park covers the southern 25% of the original Everglades - a region of subtropical wetlands that has been drained over the last century to reclaim it for human use.
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more: http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/science-environment-16791094




Will anything stop the pythons before they eat all their available food supply?

[CaliforniaPeggy]

1. Strenuous efforts must be made to capture these pythons before they destroy the Everglades.

It's very simple.......and very difficult.

We must stop them.

[DCKit]

2. Difficult? A python leather fashion trend would have them gone in three years.

The only question is how to make the Everglades accessible to the people who would hunt them, and how to prevent poaching of gators, panthers and bobcats on the side.

[CaliforniaPeggy]

3. Accessibility is what I mean!

Otherwise, I certainly agree with you.

[Nihil]

4. Post a couple of recipes for cajun python, python stew, ...

... or spread a rumour that eating dried long snake will help your withered little snake.

Problem solved!

(and probably with a boost to the balance of trade with the Chinese too!)

[GliderGuider]

5. How dare those pythons eat our food?

We were saving those racoons for a midnight snack.

[Nihil]

6. Yeah, I thought you were storing them ...

... flat-packed on the side of the road ...