Rick Lowe
I posted those photos of the Everglades yesterday as a result of this article in The International Business Times and other newspapers.
Here's a heartbreaking snippet from the article by Amir Khan:
"The Burmese python is wrecking the Florida Everglades ecosystem and have devastated small mammal populations in the area, according to a recent study. According to the U.S. Geological Survey, the number raccoon and possums spotted in the Everglades has dropped more than 98 percent, bobcat sightings are down 87 percent, and rabbits and foxes have not been seen at all in years.
"Burmese pythons are not native to the Everglades. They were spotted since the 1980s, but were established as an invasive species in 2000. It is not known how they originated, but some believe that pet owners abandoned snakes once they reach an unmanageable size (Burmese pythons can grow up to 12 feet). Another theory on how Burmese pythons came to the Everglades is that a holding warehouse filled with imported Burmese pythons was destroyed by Hurricane Andrew, releasing the snakes en masse in a single area.
"The Burmese python is not the only invasive species that is hurting the ecosystem. Invasive species often out-compete native species for food, shelter and other resources, leading to a variety of issues."
It is simply appalling and unconscionable that pet owners would just abandon non-native species in the 'glades if that's where they came from.
These pythons and the drought so far this winter will be a set back for a while I'm sure.
The Python has become the Lion Fish of the Florida Everglades.. Both of theses alien species are rapidly destroying the ecosystems of their new environments.. This is change you can believe in as it happening now before your very eyes.. Perhaps this is another tier of globalization where we shall only just sit by and let it be..