floridas new python season!

[codykrr]

ok so i was reading an artical from "american hunter" and this is what it says "roughly"

as of september 8th trappers with special permits from florida wildlife commision(FWC) has kill 18 burmese pythons on public lands. they authorized 13 permits for a pilot program,which is schedualed to ontinue till oct. 31.

they estimate there may be over 100,00 burmese pythons in the florida swamps. they are trying to let any hunter with a valid license to kill pythons found in the states wildlife managed areas around the everglades.

this is not word for word but i found it very interesting that after all these so called "horrifying snakes" they have come across they are acually doing something like this. maybe it will help now.

but i fear what they might do next to the florida tarantulas(B. vagans)

 

[ZergFront]

Hope not. There are plenty of people here that would be more than happy to take "pest species."

 

[BorisTheSpider]

Hope not. There are plenty of people here that would be more than happy to take "pest species."

I sure would take a few . It's not that far to Flroida from here . I might have to take a little road trip , just save a few from idiots with shotguns killing these " dangerous " snakes.

 

[stevetastic]

I sure would take a few . It's not that far to Flroida from here . I might have to take a little road trip , just save a few from idiots with shotguns killing these " dangerous " snakes.

Um... Burmese pythons are dangerous. Not quotes or italics needed! They are not going to go around haphazardly killing people but they have become the dominant predator in an area where they are not supposed to fill that role. As such the whole ecosystem will be affected. Seems dangerous to me!

I do think the majority of the "Idiots with shotguns" who take part in hunts for them will not have all there teeth and kill animals just to brag about how big the snake they shot was... but i'm sure people who genuinely care about the environment will be out there too.

There is no way to place 100,000+ bumese pythons responsibly for the people who want to go out and catch them all. Invasive Burmese pythons are not Pokemon!

 

[loxoscelesfear]

Non-target snake species getting the axe is my concern.

 

[aracnophiliac]

ok so i was reading an artical from "american hunter" and this is what it says "roughly"

as of september 8th trappers with special permits from florida wildlife commision(FWC) has kill 18 burmese pythons on public lands. they authorized 13 permits for a pilot program,which is schedualed to ontinue till oct. 31.

they estimate there may be over 100,00 burmese pythons in the florida swamps. they are trying to let any hunter with a valid license to kill pythons found in the states wildlife managed areas around the everglades.

this is not word for word but i found it very interesting that after all these so called "horrifying snakes" they have come across they are acually doing something like this. maybe it will help now.

but i fear what they might do next to the florida tarantulas(B. vagans)

Well if we are going to be doing this with all unwanted species I vote we open a hunting season (with special permits of course) To shoot Ski Bums and tree planters..Anyone who Hygenie Is "natural"

 

[Dave]

B. vagans have quietly been there since the 70's. No need to worry about them. I don't think they're going anywhere. The burms of late, however have caused quite a commotion.

 

[Exo]

I wonder what Burms taste like? A big snake like that might be a worthwhile game animal if they taste good. They arn't native so I have no problem hunting them.

 

[dtknow]

Its interesting that these snakes have gotten so much press(while the less interesting boa constrictor/iguana invasions have gone largely unnoticed). Their are a lot of invasive species that are much scarier and devastating(think plants and insects) than the burmese python thats for sure. That being said, considering it is a potential threat to a few sensitive species(Key deer, etc.) a control/extirmination program would be a good idea.

 

[zonbonzovi]

I'm not 100%, but I don't believe that shotguns are allowed in the hunt. Trapping/snaring (by net?) only; to be killed by hand held device(read: knife).

Here's some details:

http://www.myfwc.com/NEWSROOM/Resources/News_Resources_PythonPermitFAQs.htm#eligible

Exo- I *think* parboiling is necessary, but have been unable to find a link. Seems like it would be muscular, but as seen w/ traditional BBQ, anything can be made to taste good.

 

[codykrr]

yes, as of now only 13 special permits have been handed out. no guns or sooting involved. as of right now like stated above you can only trap, or net said snakes. i should have been more specific, but did not want to copyright anything sorry for the misunderstanding.

also the FWC is going to try and eventually allow hunters to shoot,trap, snare, and acually "hunt" burmese pythons, but only in the affected areas aroundthe everglades.

 

[arachnochicken]

And now you know why people have to get big snakes pit tagged and registered here in Fla at $100 a year plus P.Tag. Theres to many morons going to LPS and reptile shows thinking "wow ,what a cool snake , I think I"ll get one " . And then a few years later they have a 15 foot monster on their hands that they don't know what to do with or how to house , so they deside to let it go . Now we have an estimated 10,000 -100,000 very large snakes eating anything and everythign they can . And thats another reason legistature is looking to ban large snakes . Every thing from Redtails to Anaconda's .

 

[pitbulllady]

And now you know why people have to get big snakes pit tagged and registered here in Fla at $100 a year plus P.Tag. Theres to many morons going to LPS and reptile shows thinking "wow ,what a cool snake , I think I"ll get one " . And then a few years later they have a 15 foot monster on their hands that they don't know what to do with or how to house , so they deside to let it go . Now we have an estimated 10,000 -100,000 very large snakes eating anything and everythign they can . And thats another reason legistature is looking to ban large snakes . Every thing from Redtails to Anaconda's .

The quote of "an estimated 10,000-100,000" has absolutely NO scientific backing whatsoever. It's a WAG-Wild-A** Guess-at best, but is unfortunately spouted like the Gospel by everyone from the HSUS to Fox News(two ironic bedfellows if ever there were). Truth is, no one knows just how many Burms are living in the 'Glades, but given the sensationalism and hype usually heaped upon anything to do with controversial, "scary" animals, the actual numbers are likely far less that the estimates. Banning large snakes to solve or even reduce this problem is like closing the barn door after all the horses have already run away; it will solve absolutely nothing. It will be yet-another case of the government stepping and controlling absolutely each and every aspect, no matter how small, of people's lives. Now, here's the interesting part, one that gives lie to the theory that most of these snakes got there when pet owners got tired of their large reptiles and dumped them: virtually every Burm that has been caught and DNA tested has been shown to be very closely related to each other, meaning that they are all, or at least the vast majority, descended from a very tiny gene pool of animals. IF the largest source of Burms was indeed pet owners dumping their erstwhile pets, the expected outcome would be a very diverse genetic base, released over a period of time, rather than such a narrow base. This indicates that these animals are for the most part derived from a single release of a limited number of animals, the most likely source of which were the Burms kept by the Miami Metro Zoo, which were lost and never recovered following Hurricane Andrew in 1992.

And, while the environmental impact from these snakes is a real concern, we do not yet know exactly how great an impact that will be. Florida has had to deal with non-native, destructive species for many, many decades, and if there's one way to describe the native fauna/flora of the state, it's resilient. Feral hogs are a WAY more serious and widespread problem than pythons, yet you never hear of the problems they cause. There are also feral cats, feral dogs and of course, the most-destructive non-native species of all, Homo sapiens ssp. "snowbirdus". It's just a lot easier to stir folks up about snakes, since so many people hate snakes and most other reptiles with a passion, and that fear is a useful tool in achieving bans on first one animal, then another. If you can convince the sheeple of the horrible threat these animals pose to them and the environment, you can get them to go along with the bans.

pitbulllady

 

[cbeard]

Animals introduced to an environment that the animal does not naturally live in is an instant environmental threat and concern. Saying you do not know what kind of impact a potential 15 foot snake has on an ecosystem is a joke. Although it is true Florida's ecosystem is already thickly concentrated with a huge number of invasive species, that does not give room for one more, especially 15 foot one.

Although I get a lot of criticism for this, this is the exact reason I believe people should need permits to keep and breed these animals. There are way too many irresponsible reptile owners.

 

[pouchedrat]

I'm still waiting for someone to send me all the pouched rats in the keys... I can easily place 20, 30+ in homes immediately.

But supposedly they've already eradicated them... *sigh*.

Burmese pythons are just nuts when it comes to size... I wonder if there's retics out there as well? Around here in MD, I've seen green anaconda babies for sale in LPS's.

 

[cbeard]

I'm still waiting for someone to send me all the pouched rats in the keys... I can easily place 20, 30+ in homes immediately.

But supposedly they've already eradicated them... *sigh*.

Burmese pythons are just nuts when it comes to size... I wonder if there's retics out there as well? Around here in MD, I've seen green anaconda babies for sale in LPS's.

Yes, as far as I have heard, all 5 of the top Constrictors have been found in Florida. As far as I know, burmese pythons are the only species that has successfully bred in the wild there.

A majority of these large snakes increased in popularity recently due to the fact there was not a lot of people innitially interested in them and the price for them was VERY low. When people purchased them for breeding, they would have too many neonates to reasonably sell.

Even after years and years of breeding both 'python regius' and 'python molurus bivittatus', the ALBINO ball python STILL sells for $500-$800. The burmese has sold for under $200 for the last three years, now as low as $75.

LPS type stores buy these up because they are rediculously cheap to buy wholesale, and some stupid kids gonna see 'ANACONDA $129.99' and buy it up in a second! Anacondas just sound cooler than 'Red Ratsnake'.

 

[pitbulllady]

Animals introduced to an environment that the animal does not naturally live in is an instant environmental threat and concern. Saying you do not know what kind of impact a potential 15 foot snake has on an ecosystem is a joke. Although it is true Florida's ecosystem is already thickly concentrated with a huge number of invasive species, that does not give room for one more, especially 15 foot one.

Although I get a lot of criticism for this, this is the exact reason I believe people should need permits to keep and breed these animals. There are way too many irresponsible reptile owners.

It's not the size of the animal that counts, but its feeding habits, its adaptability to the new environment, its reproductive capacity and even its physical means of locomotion, since one of the most destructive aspects of non-native hoofed stock is the accelatetion of erosion due to the damage to the ground from their feet. The statement of not knowing the exact impact of these snakes on the Everglades came directly from a FWC biologist, by the way, who has seen how Florida's own native animals have actually adapted to and learned to cope with many of their new neighbors. Many of the most-asinine claims about the Burmese Pythons have come NOT from biologists, but from environmental groups who have no first-hand knowledge of reptiles of ANY kind whatsoever, including the claims that female Burms lay over 100 eggs at a time(just ask any Burm breeder how many times they've seen THAT happen, in captive situations where fertility is manipulated to be at its maximum), and that their range will expand due to global warming and that these snakes can easily survive sub-freezing temperatures as it is. Having kept Burms, I can say from first-hand experience that there are few snakes which are more prone to respiratory infections from becoming chilled than a Burmese Python. While Burms are a subspecies of Indian Python, they occupy a very different type of environment and are different to the point that the Indian Python is a CITES-protected species which is not allowed to be traded commercially without Federal permits, while the Burmese is not included in CITES regulations.

Yes, there are irresponsible reptile owners-and irresponsible dog owners, and irresponsible cat owner-and there are far more of the latter two. Feral cats especially have had a significant impact on native birds and other small animals, not to mention the other problems they cause(and I love cats, too, almost as much as snakes), and their range covers most of North America, in every conceivable environment. Do we impose statewide and Federal crackdowns on those animals, too, along with requiring permits to own a cat or dog(any breed) or would outright bans on cats and dogs solve the problem of feral animals of those species? It's already getting to the point where you have to have a friggin' permit and submit to random government intrusion on your property for inspections just to own a goldfish nowadays in some places as it is. At this point it is not going to matter a bit of difference to the already-existing populations of Burms in the 'Glades if a total ban IS enacted, since the snakes are alreay established. Like I said, it's like closing the barn door after the horses have run away-a pointless, useless thing to do.

pitbulllady

 

[cbeard]

It's not the size of the animal that counts, but its feeding habits, its adaptability to the new environment, its reproductive capacity and even its physical means of locomotion, since one of the most destructive aspects of non-native hoofed stock is the accelatetion of erosion due to the damage to the ground from their feet. The statement of not knowing the exact impact of these snakes on the Everglades came directly from a FWC biologist, by the way, who has seen how Florida's own native animals have actually adapted to and learned to cope with many of their new neighbors. Many of the most-asinine claims about the Burmese Pythons have come NOT from biologists, but from environmental groups who have no first-hand knowledge of reptiles of ANY kind whatsoever, including the claims that female Burms lay over 100 eggs at a time(just ask any Burm breeder how many times they've seen THAT happen, in captive situations where fertility is manipulated to be at its maximum), and that their range will expand due to global warming and that these snakes can easily survive sub-freezing temperatures as it is. Having kept Burms, I can say from first-hand experience that there are few snakes which are more prone to respiratory infections from becoming chilled than a Burmese Python. While Burms are a subspecies of Indian Python, they occupy a very different type of environment and are different to the point that the Indian Python is a CITES-protected species which is not allowed to be traded commercially without Federal permits, while the Burmese is not included in CITES regulations.

Yes, there are irresponsible reptile owners-and irresponsible dog owners, and irresponsible cat owner-and there are far more of the latter two. Feral cats especially have had a significant impact on native birds and other small animals, not to mention the other problems they cause(and I love cats, too, almost as much as snakes), and their range covers most of North America, in every conceivable environment. Do we impose statewide and Federal crackdowns on those animals, too, along with requiring permits to own a cat or dog(any breed) or would outright bans on cats and dogs solve the problem of feral animals of those species? It's already getting to the point where you have to have a friggin' permit and submit to random government intrusion on your property for inspections just to own a goldfish nowadays in some places as it is. At this point it is not going to matter a bit of difference to the already-existing populations of Burms in the 'Glades if a total ban IS enacted, since the snakes are alreay established. Like I said, it's like closing the barn door after the horses have run away-a pointless, useless thing to do.

pitbulllady

Pitbull lady, you're absolutely right. The unfortunate part is that there are herpers that are willing to release their pets. Burmese are not top on the lsit of threatening animals that were introduced, but they ARE on that list, thats what I was saying. I have no 'degree' yet, but I am in school for a major in environmental science, minoring in GIS and conservation. I have kept reptiles as a hobby and on a professional level for a very long time, I still have to stand my ground on the fact that if people cannot responsibly keep them, they need to be banned altogether in an effort to protect the established wildlife. That SUCKS, but some people apparently suck, lol. The only way it would make sense for a ban is if we were to completely eradicate the population loose in Florida, and I don't see that happening. Especially if the numbers are as high as they claim them to be.

As someone that loves reptiles, and all animals in general for that matter, I would rather be unable to keep them, than be a part of keeping them and having my ownership negatively affect the species.

Chris

 

[Kris-wIth-a-K]

I'd worry about the Alligators and Moccasins before anything.. You will be dodging them left and right even before you saw 1 python.. Literally..It's the freakin everglades..

 

[dtknow]

I hear it would be bowhunting. Now bowhunting pythons does not sound like something that requires special skill...other n actually finding the snake(ok sonny, we got one. Now get out, stand right there, and shoot it right in da head...haha)

I'd be all for exterminating the feral cats and hogs too.(now, bowhunting those would require skill) Actually, feral cats and hogs are much more serious problem than the snakes.