Tuesday, Apr 15, 2008
Senator Bill Nelson (D-FL) visited the park on March 26th to hear firsthand from superintendent Dan Kimball and biologist Skip Snow about a relatively new invasive exotic animal species the park is concerned about, the Burmese python. The senator held a press conference at the Shark Valley entrance of the park to draw public attention to this problem.
The Burmese python, an invasive snake that can reach up to 15 to 20 feet in length, has become established in the Everglades. Pythons pose a risk to many different resources, including threatened and endangered species. Preliminary information also suggests the range of pythons could increase significantly, posing additional threats in the future.
The Fish and Wildlife Service, National Park Service, and U.S. Geological Survey are working with many partners to address this concern. The work that has been done to date will serve as a foundation for the significant additional effort that will needed in the future to address this important challenge.
In 2007, 248 Burmese pythons were removed from the park and adjacent areas. More than 600 snakes have been removed during the period of record. Pythons pose a direct risk to imperiled species and other trust resources; for example, pythons were implicated in the demise of up to six Key Largo woodrats in 2007. The woodrat is one of the most endangered species in south Florida, with about 200 individuals remaining in the wild within one small geographic area. A number of other highly endangered species, such as the Lower Keys marsh rabbit and Cape Sable seaside sparrow, also occur in places where pythons have been found.
The growing threat posed by pythons has instigated a number of actions by FWS, NPS, USGS, and other partners. For example, to help define the nature of the threat, FWS and NPS have cost shared an agreement with USGS to complete a biological synopsis and risk assessment. The effort will be completed by USGS in about one year and should contain information that has broad application for the control of pythons in the U.S. Additional work is being completed on python genetics, food habits, movements, and reproductive characteristics in an effort to develop strategies for controlling the species.
Senator Nelson spent time talking with media representatives and park staff about his commitment to supporting efforts to identify this species as injurious under the Lacy Act and to support funding research to better understand activity and options to remove pythons in the everglades.
|
