The Everglades ecosystem, which once sprawled across more than 6,250 square miles (16,187 square kilometers), has been reduced to half its original size by agriculture and urban expansion, and now the pythons threaten to make the 'glades barren of life. We suspect they are going to be expanding their territories both west and north," says Kirkland. "The pythons have essentially wiped out their prey base in Miami-Dade County, Everglades National Park and surrounding areas. ![]() "They are now preying on wading birds and even the occasional alligator."Īs populations of smaller mammals dwindle, the effects ripple up the food chain, and native predators like alligators and endangered Florida panthers lose their primary food sources. "We have recorded a 99% reduction of fur-bearing animals," says Michael Kirkland, a biologist specializing in invasive animals at South Florida Water Management District (SFWMD). The huge reptiles, which can grow to lengths of 23 feet (7 meters), and which weigh in at 250 pounds (113.4 kilograms), have eaten their way through much of the native wildlife, including raccoons, foxes, marsh rabbits, and birds. Today, the consequences are being felt.īy some estimates, their numbers may now exceed 150,000. The subtropical environment, with its ideal temperatures and abundance of defenseless prey, helped their population explode. The Everglades' subtropical environment, with its ideal temperatures and abundance of defenseless prey, has helped the population of Burmese pythons explode Image: Niall Macaulay Native to South and Southeast Asia, the snake species was first sighted in the Everglades in the 1970s, after irresponsible pet owners released them into the ecosystem. ![]() But now another reptile has become king in the unique wetland: the invasive Burmese python. Bartoszek, who works for the Conservancy of Southwest Florida, feels it is necessary to do everything he can to bring people's attention to the havoc these creatures are wreaking.įlorida's Everglades are known internationally for their alligators. The clutch of 40 desiccated eggs he carries is a highly effective hammer to drive home his point. "Right now in the field, there are many female pythons we didn't catch sitting on a clutch like this that will probably hatch." "These are Burmese python eggs," he tells them. Patrons look on confused, some approaching to ask if they are potatoes. He causes a huge stir as he walks in with a giant platter of what could easily be choux pastries. These apex predators can grow up to 14 feet in length and have between 74 and 80 teeth in their mouth at any given time.At a coffee shop in Davie, Florida, I'm waiting for wildlife biologist Ian Bartoszek. ![]() Once endangered, nearly 2 million alligators now live in the wild across Louisiana. More so than any other animal, the American alligator has come to represent the swamp. In fact, the Atchafalaya supports half of America’s migratory waterfowl and provides the most important habitat for Neotropical migratory land birds and other birds of the Mississippi Flyway. With an abundance of nutrient rich water flowing through the swamp from the Mississippi River, the Atchafalaya is one of the richest areas in the country in regard to diversity of wildlife. ![]() Pronounced “uh-CHA-fuh-LIE-uh,” the Atchafalaya gets its name from the Choctaw phrase for “Long River.” An unmatched American wilderness, the Atchafalaya Swamp encompasses 1.4 million acres-an area bigger than the state of Delaware-between Lafayette and Baton Rouge, Louisiana. From its majestic cypress and tupelo covered swamps to the egrets and alligators that fill its skies and endless waterways, the Atchafalaya Swamp has come to symbolize life in Louisiana.
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