Snakes World

Humongous pythons have invaded South Florida and the race is on to capture them. Many snake experts have been recruited to the front lines of Florida’s war on pythons. Eradication is a government priority. Special licenses have been issued to python assassins. Bounties have even been debated. Scientists have implanted transponders inside female snakes in the hopes of enticing males that could be captured. Many snake enthusiasts have said for awhile that the solution to the python problem in Florida is a big cold spell. And now after Florida’s coldest winter in recorded history, there’s evidence that they may be right.

Nine of the 10 pythons carrying transmitters died during the winter. Although the pythons took a major hit from the cold, they definitely were not wiped out. Teams found many live snakes during the time after the cold spell. No one knows how many snakes were out there before the temperature plummeted, nor does anyone know how many survived. This summer will be very telling since hot weather makes the snakes active. Reptile traders say the cold killed so many snakes that the government should stop worrying about it. The Interior Department wants to ban sales of Burmese pythons and other large constrictors, such as boas and anacondas. Many snake lovers agree that pythons are bad news for the Everglades ecosystem but also say that if breeders are banned from selling their snakes, they’ll simply turn them all loose.