Fla.‘s Python Problem Prompts Proposed National Ban on Imports

Environmental Law

Fla.‘s Python Problem Prompts Proposed National Ban on Imports

Posted Aug 26, 2008, 02:06 pm CST
By Martha Neil

Burmese pythons aren't native to Florida. But there apparently may be tens of thousands of them slithering around Florida's Everglades National Park. Many or most seem to be descendants of a few pets that were released around 1979, or even earlier.

The giant carnivorous constrictors are known for crushing and swallowing their prey, which can even include alligators, according to the St. Petersburg Times in a lengthy Sunday story.

"In one case, the foes fought for more than 24 hours before going their separate ways. In another, the snake ate the alligator, producing the well-known photo of the exploded snake with an alligator inside it," the newspaper recounts. "But most of the time the alligators win."

They are also eating endangered native species, such as woodrats, as well as common birds, young deer and muskrats.

Concerned about the python problem, Sen. Bill Nelson, D-Fla., plans to introduce a bill in September that would make it illegal to import Burmese pythons into the U.S., as well as ban their interstate sale.

Kept as pets, the pythons—which can be 20 feet or more in length--also potentially present a problem. "Attacks on handlers, sometimes deadly, are not uncommon," according to National Geographic.

Earlier this year, an Oregon pet store owner made international headlines after she was attacked by a 12-foot python. Saved by a police officer, she pleaded with him—successfully—to spare the snake, as KVAL, a local CBS affiliate, reported at the time.

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