Burmese Python, 13-foot long, killed by Florida bobcat in Everglades; first recorded case

Time of India

a day ago

Burmese Python, 13-foot long, killed by Florida bobcat in Everglades; first recorded case
In a rare and surprising turn of events, a Florida bobcat was captured on camera taking down a 13-foot Burmese python in a bold and unusual attack. Burmese pythons are wreaking havoc on the Everglades ecosystem, but some native animals have been known to prey on the enormous reptiles.
Wildlife biologists say the encounter could be a significant development in the battle between native predators in Florida's Everglades. The snake's remains were found near the city of Naples in December 2022 by Ian Bartoszek, a wildlife biologist of the Conservancy of Southwest Florida. The researchers are studying how native predators are adapting to invasive snakes - and possibly seeing them as a new food source.
13-foot Burmese python killed by a Florida bobcat
Bartoszek's team was tracking Loki, a 13-foot long, 52 pound scout snake. They expected to find Loki with a female python. Instead, they found his remains- partially buried under pine needles. Bartoszek, who had tracked Loki through six breeding seasons said,
'It was a bit sad and a bit exciting at the same time. We sort of treated it as a bit of a CSI crime scene'.
The team started to look for evidence and clues as to what had killed the massive snake.
The way Loki's neck was chewed and head buried, pointed to a native predator: a Florida bobcat. Soon after, the trail camera confirmed the suspicion, capturing footage of the scene.
Burmese Pythons in Florida: A growing threat
Native to Southeast Asia, Burmese pythons first arrived in America in the 1990s and early 2000s as part of the exotic pet trade. But as the number of snakes grew, some pet owners felt like they could not keep them, and released them into the wild.
Burmese pythons are non-native apex predators that have wreaked havoc on Florida's delicate ecosystem since escaping or being released into the wild decades ago. Known to eat a variety of animals—including deer, raccoons, birds, and even bobcats—they've drastically reduced populations of many native species in the Everglades.
What led to the kill, weather may have played a role
According to biologists, the bobcat may have taken advantage of a rare opportunity.
Just days before Loki was found dead, a cold snap hit South Florida. As a cold-blooded reptile, the python may have been vulnerable outside of its burrow, making it an easy target for a bold bobcat.
While pythons are known to prey on bobcats, this role reversal could indicate that native predators are adapting to the presence of the invasive snakes.
Florida wildlife conservation: A concern
The incident is being seen as an important step to manage Florida's increasing python population.
Since 2013, Bartoszek and his team have followed male pythons to help locate and remove breeding females, helping to slow their spread. Now, with native animals starting to treat pythons as their prey, this could mark a beginning to fight back and restore ecological balance in the Everglades. Researchers are still collecting evidence and looking for trends in how predators like bobcats and bears.
'There's a bit of a pattern emerging that - and you'd expect as much - over time, the ecosystem is rebalancing itself. It's fighting back,'
Bartoszek said.
'These native predators are recognizing Burmese pythons as a new food source and are able to take advantage of some of their vulnerabilities.'
Also read |
47-million-year-old snake found may be the biggest ever, surpassing Titanoboa