Burmese Python Essay

The Burmese python are invading the Everglades. They can be very dangerous, they can go up to 23 feet and weigh about 200 pounds or even more. They are changing the environment by eating most of the mammals because they are carnivores. The Burmese python has no venom but they have chemical receptors in their tongues and heat sensors around their jaws so they can catch their prey very easily even though they have horrible eyesight. Some mammals have even disappeared researchers says. People who brought the Burmese python casually brought them when they were probably a foot long, but in no time they grew up to 18 feet and longer. The Burmese pythons are changing the environment a lot and they are very dangerous.

The Burmese python as known can go up 23 feet or longer, but there is approximately tens of thousands of them living in the Everglades. The way they kill their prey is they first try to grasp them, and when they do the back-curving teeth is grasped into them so when the prey tries to move it sinks further to the python's grip. Then it squeezes the body

and the python swallows it whole. “The Burmese pythons are extraordinary breeders, with a voracious appetites to match.” They are carnivores and they mostly survive by eating small little birds and other mammals. The chemicals in their tongues and the heat sensor in their jaws have made it easier for them to catch their preys. Some people believe that Hurricane Andrew has made the pythons spread more and made them multiply again.

These pythons are eating up the Everglades. It’s wiping out most of the small little creatures. “Some researchers say the native mammals like foxes, rabbits, and deer are starting to disappear.” […] "Other species – among them like raccoons, deer, opossums and bobcats – are close to being wiped out." Because of the pythons massive size the little creatures can’t run away once they're grabbed by the python, their grip is so strong that it could make them burst and they die. They can even eat a creature 5 times wider than their own head. Since these creatures are so large and can eat mostly anything the balance of the Everglades is very uneven. The Burmese python has literally eaten their way to the top of the Everglades to show the other animals who's the boss.

Ever wonder how these creature came to the Everglades?

Well to start, people who wanted these pythons as their pets probably didn't know how big they were going to turn out. The owners didn't realize that the python was going to get that big, so they had to let it go to the wild. Owners were probably shocked when they saw how big the pythons got. "people casually bought them when they were maybe a foot long." […] "Unable to deal with these giants, owners often dumped them wherever seemed feasible." As known some researchers believe that the Hurricane Andrew made these pythons spread more throughout the U.S and the Everglades. Native people from China brought them here and it should've stayed near Southern China. Also an exotic pet dealer that held almost 900 Burmese Python was destroyed and many of them escaped from the warehouse to the Everglades and into the

state.

Since there are so many pythons in the Everglades people have made a challenge called the "Florida's Python Hunt" where the hunters can catch the pythons. The challenge started on 2013 January 16 through February 14. After the challenge the data they have collected said the snakes are more easily found during the winter time so they are making another challenge. "The upcoming hunt will be held in cooler winter months when the snakes are more easily found sunning themselves on access roads and levees crisscrossing the lands. When the snakes are caught they must be captured alive and turned over to the wildlife officials. Hunters are getting trained for 30 days to do well and catch the pythons more properly. If the hunters catch the largest snake they'll get prizes and rewarded for their hard work. More than 1,500 from the world came down to Florida and helped with the challenge.

To summarize, the pythons are invading the Everglades , they are very dangerous to the other small little creatures, and is eating their way through the Everglades. The pythons can go up to 23 feet over 200 pounds and small little creatures are disappearing because of these pythons. Some people are irresponsible because they didn’t know the pythons would get that big so they just threw them somewhere that looked safe and now it’s eating most of the Everglades. The Python Challenge is getting rid of some pythons but not all of them. Also more than 1,500 hunters have participated in this challenge. Pythons are very dangerous and changing the environment a lot.