Research Paper

Introduction
The goal of bringing the Burmese pythons into the United States was to sell them as an exotic pet. These pythons were imported and introduced to the Everglades of Florida and its diverse species. People began releasing their pythons into the wild because they were unable to care for their pythons. People did this to help the Burmese pythons thrive in the wild. After their release, Burmese pythons began reproducing and overtaking the Everglades of Florida. The Burmese python, an invasive species, now threatens ecosystems and the lives of other animals. Because of their vicious eating habits, Burmese pythons have already put many animals on the verge of extinction. Hunting tactics are being used on these pythons to save other species from extinction and decrease the number of Burmese pythons in the area. It is a clever choice to eradicate the Burmese python from the Everglades due to its harmful effects on the ecosystem.

Taxonomy & Description

 The Burmese python is one of if not the best-looking snakes out there. The scales of a Burmese python are “dark-colored scales with brown blotches.”  which allows them to camouflage in their habitat (Burmese Pythons, Animal Network). Burmese pythons are considered carnivores mainly consuming “mammals and birds of all different sizes” (20 Interesting Facts).  Also, the Burmese Python is one of the largest and heaviest species of snakes in the world. These pythons have an average life span of “15-30 years” (20 Interesting Facts) Python bivittatus is the scientific name for the Burmese python, which belongs to the genus Python Daudin

Burmese pythons when born are the size of an average snake, but when they are fully grown they can grow to be as long as a bus. The Burmese python is known as one of the biggest snakes in the world and “can get as heavy as 200+ pounds” (20 Interesting Facts)! Burmese Pythons when captured in “Florida average between 6 and 9 feet”, the largest ever caught in the Florida Everglades was over 18 feet (Burmese Python, Florida Fish, and Wildlife). Burmese Pythons may seem dangerous and aggressive, but they fear us humans being too close to them.

Introduction to Non-Native Habitat

While some pets are easy to care for, Burmese pythons are not. These snakes were imported because they were going to be “household pets” (Burmese Python, Animals Network). The Burmese python's non-native habitat is “in the Florida Everglades” (Python Bivittatus). Between 1996 and 2006 over “90,000 snakes imported into the U.S” (Python Bivittatus). The reason why people decided to buy these pythons was that they were the new craze and unique.  These pythons were imported from “South and Southeast Asia” (Burmese Python, Animal Network). Burmese pythons inhabit various habitats including "grasslands, wetlands, rocky slopes, woods, river valleys, and jungles with open clearings" (Python Bivittatus). When a Burmese python is born, they usually stay in trees, but after time the python becomes too heavy, making it harder for the python to climb trees. Even though these pythons are enormous, they “are semi-aquatic and are often found near or in water” (Burmese Python, Florida Fish and Wildlife). 

 These pythons are also able to" stay submerged for up to half an hour" in water (Pythons Bivittatus).

After the importation of these snakes, Florida and parts of the US got new pets that they loved and cared for. After a few years of people owning Burmese pythons, people realized that they are very hard to take care of and so “some were released into the wild” (Python Bivittatus). The release of Burmese Pythons led to a significant decline in Florida's native species, as they are naturally preyed upon by rare wild animals like "tigers, alligators, and the king cobra" (Python Bivittatus). Also, Burmese pythons can produce “between 30-40 eggs” quickly (20 Interesting Facts). Since these animals can produce so many eggs they can easily overpopulate, allowing more pythons to consume native species of Florida. This is why Burmese pythons are overpopulating Florida and making less and less food for other animals. The Burmese python's high sense of smell compensates for hearing and poor vision, allowing them to thrive as skilled predators in the Florida Everglades.

Adverse Effects

Since Burmese pythons were imported to the United States they have only caused environmental, ecological, and economic problems. One reason is that the diet of the Burmese Python is so diverse, which lets them eat “threaten or endanger native species.” (Burmese Python, Florida Fish and Wildlife). This shows that since pythons have no predators to fight against for food they can do whatever they want with their prey. Since the Burmese pythons have been eating everything, the percentage of “raccoons are down by 99.3%, opossums by 98.9%, and white-tailed deer by 94.1%” (Python Bivittatus). The Burmese python is causing a drastic decrease in the number of native animals in the area, which is causing a decline in animal life. 

The reason the Burmese pythons are causing many problems is because they are overpopulating the Florida Everglades. Since Burmese pythons have a “preference for watery habitats” they can attack prey on land and water (Burmese Python, Animal Network). These snakes are brilliant because they can utilize their camouflage in water and land to attack their prey easily. The only animal the Burmese pythons are competing against in water is the “native American alligators” but depending on the python's size, they can devour the alligators whole (Python Bivittatus). Burmese pythons can also move very fast so in case animals run from their ambush, they can catch them.  

Yet Burmese pythons can destroy ecosystems whether in water or land. Burmese pythons were initially imported from various regions in Asia to join the pet trade, with hopes of profiting millions from their novelty. However, instead of keeping them, people released them into the wild. Since these pythons were released they have been destroying ecosystems by devouring everything in the Florida Everglades. Then in 2013, Florida decided to make a month-long competition to eliminate Burmese pythons “wherein a total of 68 pythons were removed” (Python Bivittatus). These pythons have caused nothing but trouble for Florida and the United States.

Conclusion

Because of their adaptability, population, and elusive nature, Burmese pythons are an invasive species in Florida that pose serious challenges to eradicate and control. Numerous techniques, like killing, trapping, and public awareness campaigns, have been used in an attempt to control their population. But total eradication has been difficult to accomplish. Despite the challenges of capturing these pythons, there is still ongoing research on ways to manage these pythons. Some of these methods include detection dogs trained to track these pythons and the development of genetic tools to track and monitor the python population. 

In addition to providing instruction on recognizing and dispatching Burmese pythons, the Florida government is also giving people thousands of dollars in rewards as part of the Florida Python Challenge to preserve the Everglades National Park. This is helping decrease the number of Burmese pythons because of events like this. In conclusion, despite advancements in managing Burmese python numbers in Florida, total eradication will still be difficult because of the Burmese python's biology and the environment's complexity.  Management techniques and ongoing research are essential keys to reducing the negative effects of this invasive species and protecting the area's biodiversity.

Works Cited 

“20 Interesting Facts About Burmese Pythons.” Wildlife Informer, 11 May 2023,  wildlifeinformer.com/facts-about-burmese-pythons/.

“Burmese Pythons.”Animals Network, 5 Oct 2018, animals.net/burmese-python/.

“Burmese Python.” Florida Fish And Wildlife Conservation Commission,  myfwc.com/wildlifehabitats/profiles/reptiles/snakes/burmese-python/.

“Python Bivittatus, Burmese Python.”Thai National Park, www.thainationalparks.com/species/python-bivittatus.