TAMPA, Fla. (WFLA) — Researchers introduced a record-breaking 6,300 kilos of invasive Burmese pythons had been faraway from Southwest Florida.
The Conservancy of Southwest Florida mentioned the report quantity marked a milestone for its python program. Greater than 20 tons of Burmese pythons have been faraway from a 200-square-mile space in Southwest Florida since 2013.
“Now we have been on the entrance line of the invasive python battle for greater than a decade,” states Ian Bartoszek, wildlife biologist and Conservancy Science Undertaking Supervisor, who oversees the python program. “Eradicating greater than 40,000 kilos of snake, carried out by means of a few of Florida’s unrelenting wildlife habitats, is a heavy-lifting project. However, by means of years of devoted analysis, we’ve developed science-based strategies to trace this apex predator extra successfully and mitigate its injury to our native wildlife inhabitants.”
The group of researchers at the moment tracks 40 pythons to “assist find reproductive pythons in the course of the breeding season, November by means of April.”
Since 2013, the group mentioned it has stopped an extra 20,000 python eggs from hatching.
“Burmese pythons are spectacular creatures which are right here from no fault of their very own,” Bartoszek states. “As wildlife biologists, now we have great respect for all snake species. Nonetheless, we perceive the affect invasive pythons are having on the biodiversity in our space, and we humanely take away them from the ecosystem as a part of the Conservancy’s dedication to defending our water, land, wildlife, and future.”
