Latest news with #ConservancyofSouthwestFlorida
USA Today
34 minutes ago
- Science
- USA Today
Battle against invasive pythons enjoys record season, and a milestone
Battle against invasive pythons enjoys record season, and a milestone The battle against the invasive Burmese python by the Conservancy of Southwest Florida reached a milestone after a record removal season. The removal season coincides with the breeding season of the python from November through April, with the Conservancy staff tracking 40 pythons, known as scout snakes that help in locating reproductive pythons. There was a record 6,300 pounds of the invasive snake removed this season, bringing the total to a hefty milestone of more than 20 tons of Burmese pythons removed from a 200-square-mile area in Southwest Florida since 2013, the Conservancy announced. 'We have been on the front line of the invasive python battle for more than a decade,' said Ian Bartoszek, wildlife biologist and Conservancy Science Project Manager, who oversees the python program. 'Removing more than 40,000 pounds of snake, carried out through some of Florida's unrelenting wildlife habitats, is a heavy-lifting assignment. But, through years of dedicated research, we've developed science-based methods to track this apex predator more effectively and mitigate its damage to our native wildlife population.' The Conservancy uses radio telemetry to track the tagged male pythons across a 200-square-mile area of public and private land from Naples through the Western Everglades. Since 2013, the team has stopped an additional 20,000 python eggs from hatching. The program is expected to expand into new areas, as the long-term monitoring has shown signs of positive effectiveness, as scout snakes are increasingly struggling to locate mates, or when they do, they are smaller in size. 'The Burmese python is decimating native wildlife across their invaded range,' said Rob Moher, President and CEO of the CSF. 'Here at the Conservancy, we also rehabilitate thousands of injured native animals in the von Arx Wildlife Hospital and release them back into the wild each year. The python team's work of reducing the local population of the invasive snake allows our native wildlife safer conditions to recover.' Also on FTW Outdoors: Texas fisherman catches record bass, releases it 3 months later The Conservancy's python program is one of the leading research and removal initiatives globally. It is credited with capturing the largest female python ever documented to date; it measured 18 feet and weighed 215 pounds. It also captured the largest male python on record at 16 feet and 140 pounds. 'Burmese pythons are impressive creatures that are here from no fault of their own,' Bartoszek said. 'As wildlife biologists, we have tremendous respect for all snake species. However, we understand the impact invasive pythons are having on the biodiversity in our area, and we humanely remove them from the ecosystem as part of the Conservancy's commitment to protecting our water, land, wildlife, and future.'
Time of India
9 hours ago
- Science
- Time of India
More than 1,000 Burmese Pythons captured and killed in Florida's war against the invasive species
Image: Conservancy of Southwest Florida Florida's battle against the invasive Burmese python has reached a startling milestone. More than 1,000 snakes have been captured and humanely euthanised by the Conservancy of Southwest Florida since 2013. This amounts to nearly 20 tons of python mass. This aggressive removal effort is part of a broader mission to protect the Everglades' fragile ecosystem, where these non-native predators have been wiping out native species. The latest breeding season alone accounted for a record-breaking 6,300 pounds of python. Though the numbers are daunting, experts believe the numbers may slowly be turning down in favour of native wildlife. Burmese Python: A growing threat to native species in Florida Burmese pythons are native to Southeast Asia. They first appeared in Florida in the 1970s, likely due to pet releases. Since then, they have multiplied rapidly in the wild, feeding on over 85 species of native mammals, birds, and reptiles. With no natural predators and abundant prey in the Everglades, they have spread unchecked and severely damaging local biodiversity. Image: Conservancy of Southwest Florida Record-breaking rise in breeding season Between November and April, which is their breeding season, the Conservancy's team removed more than 6,300 pounds of python from a 200-square-mile area in Southwest Florida. Some individual snakes reached up to 215 pounds and nearly 18 feet in length, with many females euthanized before they could lay eggs. These removals likely prevented the hatching of over 20,000 eggs. Tracking the Burmese Python with 'Scout Snakes' A key tool in this effort is the use of radio-tagged male pythons, known as 'scout snakes.' These snakes are released and tracked during mating season which lead biologists to hidden nests of large reproductive females. After the females are euthanized, the scouts are reused to locate more. The technique has proven to be an effective way to find breeding hotspots. Signs of progress and setbacks While pythons are still expanding their range with sightings near Lake Okeechobee, there are signs of success also. Biologists report smaller and fewer females being located by scout males, suggesting population pressure. Occasionally, native predators like bobcats and endangered eastern indigo snakes have also been observed preying on young pythons, which is a hopeful sign of ecosystem resistance. A Multi-agency effort The Conservancy of Southwest Florida collaborates with the U.S. Geological Survey, University of Florida, National Park Service, and Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission to carry out this ambitious project. The goal is not complete eradication but population control. These efforts reduce pressure on native species and restore ecological balance in one of the world's most unique wetland habitats.
Yahoo
19 hours ago
- Science
- Yahoo
These Snake Trackers Have Removed More than 20 Tons of Invasive Pythons from Florida… and They're Just Getting Started
A conservation group in South Florida that's working to reign in the state's Burmese python problem announced a new milestone in those efforts Monday. After more than a decade of intensive efforts, the Conservancy of Southwest Florida says its team of scientists and trackers has caught, killed, and removed more than 40,000 pounds of the giant, invasive snakes from a roughly 200-square-mile area near Naples. That's over 20 tons worth of Burmese pythons, which rank at the very top of Florida's least wanted list of invasive species. Stretching up to 18 feet long, these cold-blooded killers from Southeast Asia have no real natural predators in Florida, and they can they can swallow animals as large as (or even larger than) they are — in other words, pretty much everything that lives in the Everglades. From woodrats and marsh rabbits to gators and full-grown whitetails, these huge snakes are literally eating their way through the native food web. Read Next: Largest Python Ever Captured in Florida Is Nearly 18 Feet Long 'The list of species [being impacted by these snakes] is up to around 85,' Ian Bartoszek, a wildlife biologist and the Conservancy's science coordinator, told Outdoor Life last week, a few days before the organization's Monday announcement. 'It's easier to make a list of what pythons are not eating, than it is to list all the animals that have been found inside pythons to date.' This is precisely where python removal programs come into play. And while studying and researching the reptiles is part of the Conservancy's wider focus, the main goal of its python program is to remove as many snakes from the landscape as possible. Led by Bartoszek and his research partner, Conservancy biologist Ian Easterling, the team has been tracking down pythons amid the dense forests and swamps of the Everglades since 2013. Bartoszek's team of biologists aren't the only ones doing this conservation work. There are several licensed python trackers that get paid for the snakes they remove, and the state invites everyday snake hunters to compete in the highly-publicized Python Challenge each year. But the trackers at the Conservancy are arguably the most effective and efficient removal team in the region because of their science-based approach to finding Burmese pythons, which — despite their size — are uncannily good at hiding. By taking male pythons and fitting them with trackers, Bartoszek's team lets the snakes do most of the seeking. During breeding season, which runs from November through April, the team uses radio telemetry equipment to follow these male 'scout snakes' as they seek out receptive females. The team currently has around 40 scout snakes in its program, and they've helped catch some of the biggest pythons ever recorded in the Florida Everglades. The scouts have also led the team to some major scientific discoveries, including the first-ever photographs of a Florida python swallowing a full-sized deer. 'I don't want to make it sound too melodramatic, but we do get connected to these animals,' Bartoszek says, referring to one scout snake, named Loki, that died after six years in the program. 'It happens when you stay on the tail of a creature for multiple years.' Utilizing their scouts this way, the team can target the biggest breeding females and remove them from the population, along with their eggs and/or hatchlings. The Conservancy says they've kept around 20,000 python eggs from hatching this way. This past winter was also their most productive removal season to date. According to Monday's announcement, the Conservancy took out roughly 6,300 pounds of python in a matter of months. That eye-popping figure is counterbalanced by the staggering and almost incomprehensible size of Florida's python problem. The snakes now inhabit more than a thousand square miles in the southern reaches of the Sunshine State — a region so vast and dense that wildlife managers can only warrant a guess as to the overall population of Burmese pythons there. (Current estimates by the Florida Fish and Wildlife Commission are between 100,000 and 300,000 snakes.) In many ways it's an unwinnable battle, with python removal teams like Bartoszek's doing the best they can to hold the line — or in some cases, slowly push it back. Read Next: Florida Python Trackers Remove Two Giant Mating Balls in Record Day of Snake Hunting 'People tend to ask, 'Are we making a dent?' And I would say yes,' Bartoszek says. 'Especially in those areas where we've had the scout method underway for over a decade. Those [males] are ranging further afield and finding fewer females, and the ones that they do find are typically smaller size classes … And we hope to see those similar patterns keep developing over the next couple years and into the future.'
Miami Herald
a day ago
- Science
- Miami Herald
Battle to eradicate invasive pythons in Florida achieves stunning milestone
A startling milestone has been reached in Florida's war against the invasive Burmese pythons eating their way across the Everglades. The Conservancy of Southwest Florida reports it has captured and humanely killed 20 tons of the snakes since 2013, including a record 6,300 pounds of pythons killed this past breeding season, according to a June 9 news release. To put that in perspective, 20 tons — or 40,000 pounds — is a mound of snakes the size of a fire truck ... or a fully loaded city bus. What's startling is those 1,400 snakes didn't come from a statewide culling. They came from a 200-square-mile area in southwestern Florida, the conservancy reports. The greater Everglades ecosystem, where the snakes are thriving, covers more than 7,800 square miles, according to wildlife biologist Ian Bartoszek, the Conservancy Science Project Manager who oversees the python program. It's estimated tens of thousands of pythons are roaming the region, the U.S. Geological Survey says. 'I guess the real question is what did it take in native animals to make 20 tons of python? ... It still amazes me how big these animals get and how many of them are out there,' Bartoszek told McClatchy News in a phone interview. 'Pythons have indeterminate growth and the more they eat, the larger they become. On this project we have captured the largest female by weight at just under 18 (feet) but weighing a massive 215 pounds and the largest male at 16 (feet) and 140 pounds. Their size is a reflection of the available prey base. We probably grow them larger in Southwest Florida because we still have deer and medium-sized mammals for them to prey upon. In portions of the eastern Everglades, it is likely the reverse.' University of Florida researchers have identified 85 species of birds and mammals (including reptiles) that are being eaten by pythons in the Everglades, leading to fears they are decimating some native mammal populations, Bartoszek says. Southwestern Florida's wetlands are like a buffet for pythons, putting the region and the conservancy on the front lines. It's only with the help of technology that the conservancy has gained ground since starting the python program in 2013, Bartoszek says. This includes a scout snake program that fits radio telemetry trackers on 40 male pythons, so they can be tracked to reproductive females during mating season (November through April). Those females are humanely euthanized and the tagged males are freed to track down more females. The program has prevented more than 20,000 python eggs from hatching, the conservancy says. 'Long-term monitoring has shown signs of positive effectiveness of these efforts, as scout snakes increasingly struggle to locate mates or the females they find are smaller in size,' the conservancy says. Bartoszek's team, which includes biologist Ian Easterling, made headlines in 2024 when it walked up on a 115-pound python swallowing a 77-pound deer. That amounted to 66.9% of the snake's body mass and proved they are eating larger prey in Florida. The female python captured and swallowed the live deer in less than an hour, the team concluded. Among the other disconcerting discoveries made: The snakes are expanding their range. They are well established in counties along Florida's southeastern and southwestern coasts and sightings are now being reported near Lake Okeechobee, Bartoszek says. That's about a 110-mile drive northwest from Miami. 'The Burmese python always continues to surprise me and I have an internal memory reel of all the firsts we have seen on the project. The most visceral ones are when we see first hand what they are consuming,' Bartoszek said. 'But those are counterbalanced by seeing native wildlife fighting back, like when we discovered a bobcat that had predated upon one of our scout snakes. Or when we had tracked hatchling pythons over many summers and would eventually be tracking the predators that consumed them, including an endangered eastern Indigo snake. Those feels like wins for the home team when you get to see the Everglades fighting back.' Burmese pythons are native to southeastern Asia, but they began appearing in Florida in the 1970s, according to the South Florida Water Management District. It's suspected the snakes were pets, and they were either released by their owners or escaped captivity, the district says. 'The Burmese python is decimating native wildlife across their invaded range. ... The python team's work of reducing the local population of the invasive snake allows our native wildlife safer conditions to recover,' said Rob Moher, Conservancy of Southwest Florida president and CEO. The Conservancy of Southwest Florida is an environmental organization based in Naples that works to protect natural resources and wildlife in Collier, Lee, Charlotte, Hendry and Glades counties. It collaborates with the U.S. Geological Survey, National Park Service, University of Florida, Florida Fish and Wildlife, South Florida Water Management District, Rookery Bay Research Reserve and Naples Zoo.
Time of India
3 days ago
- Time of India
Burmese Python, 13-foot long, killed by Florida bobcat in Everglades; first recorded case
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
