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South Florida wildlife officials are holding a competition they hope will help eradicate invasive Burmese pythons in the Everglades.
The Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission's Python Challenge will kickoff on Jan. 12 in Fort Lauderdale, the FWC announced Wednesday.
Florida python permit holders and the general public will get a chance to compete in the month-long competition to see who can harvest the longest and the most Burmese pythons.
Grand prizes of $1,500 for harvesting the most Burmese pythons will be awarded to winners of both the general competition and the python permit holders competition, with additional $1,000 prizes for the longest Burmese python harvested in both competitions.
A Burmese python pregnant with 87 eggs was recently found in Florida and is the largest ever caught in the state, measuring over 17 feet.
In addition to removing the pythons, one of the goals of the challenge is to educate the public of the dangers the reptiles pose to the Everglades ecosystem. Florida prohibits possession or sale of Burmese pythons for use as pets, and federal law bans the importation and interstate sale of the species.
Python Patrol Reveals Everglades' Snake Problem
Largest Burmese Python Caught in Florida
"Part of the goal of the Python Challenge is to educate the public to understand why nonnative species like Burmese pythons should never be released into the wild and encourage people to report sightings of exotic species," Kristin Sommers, head of FWC's Exotic Species Coordination Section, said in a statement. "We also expect the competitive harvesting of Burmese pythons to result in additional information on the python population in south Florida and enhance our research and management efforts."
For more information on the Python Challenge visit PythonChallenge.org.
A trapping competition has been announced in South Florida to cut down on the Burmese python population in the Everglades. WBBH's Christina Lusby reports.
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Leave a Comment:
The only snake I like is a shovel head snake....after I hit it over the head with my shovel.
Comment # 1 deleted, grenade trolling all Floridians. Not a good start to a thread.
Sally, you're wrong. I only grenade trolled half of Floridians. I'm sorry sometimes the truth hurts.
It would be better to offer a decent bounty on each animal. Australia has a similar problem with rabbits and I believe foxes. It has a standing bounty on rabbits and other animals. All one has to do is to deliver a part of the animal to the location that pays the bounty and immediately the person is paid. I believe there is a bounty on feral pigs and a certain toad.
Put a decent bounty on the snake and have a company that will pay for the skin as someone suggested to make boots, shoes, bags, wallets etc. You can never eradicate the snake but that will keep the population down.
I would irridicate them for free. On the other hand, I wouldn't go looking for them, I might find one.
I can't believe this isn't a reality show. Someone's sleeping on the job.
This didn't work in India when the British offered a reward for cobras. The locals just raised their own Cobra and turned them in for the reward. It is foolish to believe that others will not do the same thing.
This is not ongoing. There won't be time to raise them, and the purpose is not to erradicate them. The purpose is to raise awareness.
Also, the cobras were a native species and not an apex predator.
the goal IS to erradicate them, but that will be impossible due to the nature of tha habitat. the species is not native, was introduced illegally, and causes havoc in the ecosystem.
The reason why the snakes are in the everglades is because people were trying to raise them and couldn't handle them when they got too big.
They weren't released by people who had them as pets. A large number of them escaped from a facility after a hurricane destroyed the building. Look it up instead of passing along gossip.
BP, actually you are just as wrong as Rahsaan and just as right. BOTH are the reason for the population of the snakes. You look it up instead of passing along gossip. Read the excerpt below from the National Park Service!
Some people offer some solutions others add more problems, you are one of this...
@Joe S-I think the scientists would like to see them eradicated. The pythons have no natural predators here-and they are taking over the glades. Where they were looking, the glades did not even have birds fluttering around. It was unnaturally quiet for being in the glades, they said. No small mammals were seen. The snakes are tree climbers-perhaps they eat all the eggs or else they catch the large birds standing in water. It is not a joke when you see the glades still of life except for snakes......
A killing contest. What a concept. What is the ASPCA and Humane Society doing these days?
good...i hate snakes...
Try envisioning them as quadraplegic lizards. Not to mention the number of rats and mice you'd be dealing with if there were no snakes.
That said, the Burmese pythons need to be eradicated from S. Florida. Hopefully there's a shoe and handbag manufacturer standing by to collect the residue.
Alan:
No question that certain snakes prey on rats, but as a general ecological rule, one predator species has virtually no impact on the total prey population. It is the other way around.
When rodent populations boom, snake populations increase. When rodents decline, so do the snake populations (and other predators as well).
Alan Dean Foster--- you are a winner!! You are the first person to spell 'eradicate' correctly in this thread! You win $1500.
I love rats and snakes.
I hate humans. Let me know when I can hunt and collect my bounty. I'll start in Detroit and work my way south.
Of course, I'm just trying to raise awareness.
No , the alligators are not next. What a foolish remark. All those that think this shouldn't be happening, would you feel the same if your pet or child encountered one of these aggressive pythons? No, didn't think so. Evidently you have no clue what will occur is these pythons are allowed to reproduce. Did you not see the number of eggs that one female contained???
First...... The alligator has and will remain a targeted species for population control. Second...... The Burmese is not what anyone armed with a little knowledge would consider an "aggressive" snake. The large ones can be dangerous if they view you as a potential food source but the same can be said for a lot of animals. The point of the hunting is that they dont belong there and they are screwing up the ecosystem. They pose a significant threat to all but wipe out small to midsize animals either native like the raccoon or invasive such as cats as they are an apex predator with the alligator being their only "natural" threat.
A lot but the Government is full in idiots, when the problem starter the officilas put a collar iin the female snakes and just kill the males, the right thing be supost be KILL THE FEMALES firts because the males CAN REPRODUCE without females ! now they lose control and the manufacter of collars made a big profit
Bet there are a few boot making companies that would love to partner with them.
Another great view on the snakes, I like it!
I've heard snake can be quite tasty. My father said it tastes like chicken.
hot, i'll cook snake up anyway you like it. but you gotta kill it haha. what's you're favorite cooking style?
Have another contest. Skin the snake, debone it. Then bake the worlds longest subway sandwich bread. Grill the snake, garnish with onion, sauerkraut, and Dijon mustard.
To bad i live to far away or i would to go try out this hunt it sounds fun.
Turn them into pet food or maybe sell their meat to the Japanese like the stable horses, you know from the stable to the table in seven, meaning days. Change it to "Once you've tasted snake, you cant get it off your plate".They might even say it tastes like chicken. Big BB-Q's all over the state competition.Another state is considering their problem with the Snake Fish population and now are eating them at restaurants. So maybe these will be survival foods in the future. But not doing anything, will, well maybe, get your pet or a child eating instead. And the people will be running from the snakes cause the snakes are hungry.
coly - while I consider most of your post idiotic, you do make a good point about eating pythons. Think of how much meat a 20 foot pythons could provide!
It DOES taste like chicken, according to my father, anyway. We have gator bites and gator burgers in restaurants near the Everglades, why not also have snake bites and snake burgers?
why's everythng gotta taste like chicken?! lol. i eat rattlesnake, and i wouldn't say it tastes like chicken at all. kind of a meaty texture, like pork, with more of a fish flavor.
I remember they tried offering rewards for pythons a few years back... We couldn't find a single one! Sneaky little suckers...
No one should mess with those large snakes if you don't know what you are doing. If you are out alone and one of them gets a grip on you, you'll die.
That is because the pay is no good and the work is hard
I get so tired of ignorance. Snakes are awesome. I once found a copperhead in my home. I caught and released it. You have to be stupid to kill an animal because you don't "like" it. What's next - witch burning, again? Grow up, people.
The problem is that these snakes are not native species and are wiping out the native species in the Everglades. It is not a matter of ignorance except on the part of the people who own them and then release them into the wild.
Same here Michael1601, except my anger comes from the ignorance of those who buy, raise, and release these animals. That an the ignorance that these are non-native apex predator with no known natural enemies. I bet you're mad people want to eradicate fire ants as well? Bet you didn't know they're non-native to the U.S. either.
It's not a matter of "not liking" these animals. They're a threat to native species. Before you start calling others ignorant, perhaps you should investigate why a state agency is willing to do this?
Michael -- ignorance is taking snakes out of their natural habitat and introducing them where they have no native predators .... thus leaving them to kill off indigenous wildlife (INCLUDING snakes that are native to the Everglades in this case).
If you are tired of ignorance then you should educate yourself.
http://news.nationalgeographic.com/news/2005/10/1006_051006_pythoneatsgator.html
The conservation question isn't "kill the icky animals!" it's "kill the animals that are threatening the local species and ecosystem".
Burmese pythons are an introduced species causing a threat to the everglades environment. It's a case of protecting the local species, even the "icky" local species.
Agreed, snakes are awesome, but in their own habitat. How would you feel about tigers prowiling your neighborhood or piranha in your pools. These thing are a form of contamination and need to be controlled.
How would you feel if that copperhead bit one of your kids or one of your pets? They are poisonous you know. Not a wise decision.
Let's see if they will self-deport back to Burma.
Now that is the makings of another great reality show!
Survivor - The Everglades Challenge. Which tribe can bring in the most pythons? Instead of being voted out you get eaten by a snake. Special 2 hour season opening episode.
And the libertarians will be complaining about the tyrannical government taking away people's right to decide what kind of pets they can keep. Brain dead fools.
i'm a libertarian. and no one is taking anyone's right to keep a pet, brain dead fool! they are hunting snakes that have been illegally dumped by brain dead fools and are causing problems in the ecosystem.
Fed, state and local goverments decide what pets you can have.
And with as many idiots as there are in the US, it's one goverment oversite I can live with.
JJD, I guess you think it's okay to keep chimps in your home too, like the one that chewed the lady's face off and hands and blinded her a couple years back. Exotic pets should require permits with proof SHOWN that the owner can and will handle the animal according to its disposition. I'm glad the government says that my next door neighbor can't own a chimp for that matter.
As a leather worker, I hope they skin them. Can never have too many snake skin belts or snake skin holsters. I could use some reasonably-priced python. Unfortunately, it would mean the three skins I currently have could become worth a lot less than what I paid for them...
Let me know when your stuff goes on sale. I could use a new holster. :p
I hope they keep the skins too, and maybe find a way to use the meat. Nothing sadder than a healthy animal that's killed and goes to waste.
I am glad the are doing this. All the A**holes who let them go are now wreaking havoc in the Everglades. There are millions of them and they are eating everything in site. I do hope they make something out of what they kill. Food, boots, hats, belts. Whatever they can. Rattle snakes are good to eat so Pythons should be too.
I wondered when they were going to start doing this. I also wondered why people weren't going after the snakes for the skins- They are destroying wild life in the Everglades.
There is no "witch burning" when the animal is not indigenous and killing native wild life.
Right on Gail
I too live in South Florida and have been astonished that they have not done this up until now.
they ought to have an open bounty and payment for the bringing in the hides, just like some western states do with coyotes. won't erradicate the problem, that is now impossible, but will help keep it in check.
keep in check mean "Due NOTHING" just seat in his chair and recibe pay checks every time
Well it's about Damned time they did something about those Pythons in the everglades. Now they should go after those Lizards in Florida. When they are captured dead or alive they should be put thru a Meat grinder and fed to the lions at the Zoo. Why they Always wait for things to get out of control before they do something is beyond me.
Officials hope to educate people about the dangers to the ecosystem????????? Ha Ha Ha Ha Ha Ha Ha Ha Ha Ha Ha Ha Ha Ha Ha Ha Ha Ha Ha Ha Ha Ha Ha Ha Ha Ha Ha Ha Ha Ha Ha Ha Ha Ha Ha Ha Ha Ha Ha Ha Ha Ha Ha Ha Ha . . . . like 99.9% of humans give two craps about when happens to the environment unless it DIRECTLY affects them. Humans are the scourge of the Earth.
endpcnow
Very true.
And good luck educating people in Florida. People here are not exactly known for their intelligence...
Then maybe we should pay the pythons to eradicate the humans?
enpcnow, unfortunately you hit the nail on the head. It is so true it makes my head spin.
You hit the nail on the head. And it's even more ludicrous to suggest that encouraging people to kill snakes is somehow going to be educational. Too many people hate snakes already and it will only endanger native snakes more. Most people have no idea what animals and plants are non-native, unfortunately. The ecological literacy of people in this country is pitiful.
Why didn't they do this with the Cane Toad? Coulda murdered them off before it became impossible.
but then we wouldn't get to whack 'em with golf clubs! ;)
I can see the necessity of this, but it makes me sad. Human error is to blame, and now humans are offered a reward to take care of their mistake.
Axl
I agree but what else can we do? Humans suck....We really do
The scientists who went wading into the everglades said the snakes are hugh but invisible in that murky water-one entomologist was virtually right next to one and did not see it. These snakes are not only hugh and have devoured nearly every animal that lives in the everglades-birds, deers, one was even found with a gator inside but both the eaten and eater died from the struggle. These snakes are unusully large and they also climb trees! One man in FL climbed a tall palm to clean out dead fronds and there was one up there!(My good friend knows the guy) They can hang peacefully there or sidle into your balconey room. Georgia is worried about getting invaded by them. If they can kill 87 lb deers, catch birds (and they do!) they certainly aren't vegans. They pose a hazard to our own dear Everglades and every creature in them. The bounty should be individual instead of a contest but the Department probably does not have enough money. I don't know about the skins for shoes and purses...but everyone in here is saying they can be used for that and that would be guilt free. The tree climbing thing would be a danger for hunters, while they must also really watch where they are stepping....The more I read about the Burmese Python, the more I thought about that crazy movie, Anaconda. the mystery is, after they have eaten everything, what will they do? They will move north.
A better idea would be to issues hunting licensees to shoot snake owners. Just like fighting the cartels in S.America, ya gotta stop the problem at it's source. Snakes are fine in a zoo or specialty tourist farm. The average snake owners are creepy dorks, or wannabe toughguys, or just like that loser who died after eating bugs all in hope of winning a stupid snake he could have just bought. I have never met a snake owner who I would consider a successful mature educated adult, most of them were always sad examples of mediocrity, whom when you visit the first word out of their mouth is "uhhh, wanna see my snakes?".
not all snakes have been released by humans on purpose. i know after katrina, and several over natural disasters in the south, flooded homes caused a great deal of the problem. i'm not a snake lover, but i'm not sure where you get your info on your stereotype for snake owners. you sound very ignorant.
forgets pay for licenses just free huntings snakes
No wonder they are taking over, you need a permit to kill them.
If everyone could kill them, they wouldn't need a prize.
There would be a lot of little road side stands selling python belts.
so the government is part of the problems, I see...
They are not an easy snake to hunt-I read an article where a group of entomologists investigating them in the glades could not see them due to their coloring and markings blending in perfectly with the swampy water. They can be 17 feet long and you cant see them, they said. One was standing in water a foot away from one and didn't know it until another scientist spied it. Also, the damn snake was not acting startled and squiggling around. If THEY can't see them easily with their training, how could a hunter?
I'm thinking it's easier to use a poodle for bait than trying to spot them.
Certainly something does need to be done about the pythons, but the sarcastic side of me can't help picturing the chaotic boat scene in Jaws after the bounty for the shark was announced, except now I am picturing that with airboats. lmao.
Spielberg really regretted what the movie "Jaws" brought about. There was a virtual frenzy killing them after that movie. He actually invested heavily in some conservation cause for sharks afterwards.