The Everglades National Park is experiencing a health emergency. Its flora and fauna is being affected by the invasion of reptiles, specifically the Burmese python. When irresponsible owners got tired of having an exotic animal, they were flushed through the toilets (going through the entire sewer system), or abandoned in the field. It was in this way that this invasive species was introduced into the ecosystem. It is currently posing a serious problem, so a government pest control plan has been put in place. Through it, incentives for catching are offered to snake hunters, and even the Python Challenge is held, which offers a $10,000 cash prize to whoever hunts more snakes.

Everglades National Park

This park is a wetland reserve, located in southern Florida. With an extension of 1.5 million acres, it consists of mangroves, swamps, reeds and pine forests. It is a reserve that hosts thousands of species of flora and fauna, including its own. Among the best known are the Florida panther, the Caribbean manatee and the leatherback turtle, which is in danger of extinction. However, all its flora and fauna is being threatened by the presence of an invasive species, which not only feeds on all the species found there, but also has no predator; the Burmese python.

Burmese python

This type of reptile has an average life expectancy of 20-25 years, with a size of 16-23 feet and weighing up to 200 pounds. Native to the Indomalayan Region, it has a carnivorous diet, sharp teeth and an extremely strong jaw, making it one of the world’s biggest predators. Although often considered one of the most dangerous, it is not a lethal species. Their stings are extremely painful and with presence of a lot of blood, but in no moment they inoculate poison.

Arrival in the Everglades

The practice of trafficking exotic animals is as old as the world. Already in 1990, some inhabitants of the area had species in their homes. However, they were eventually abandoned in the wild. They were also flushed out of the toilet, so they received the nickname “toilet snakes”. Since then, it is estimated that more than a million specimens live in the Everglades area.

Consequences of the Burmese python

The accidental introduction of this new invasive species has had fatal consequences. The entire flora and fauna of the park is threatened by its presence. In addition, there are no predatory species in the park, which increases the problem. Some species of native fauna have even been decimated. They are experts in the art of camouflage and stealth, and adapt very well in the thick vegetation.

Snake hunters

Florida is facing an unprecedented invasion. That is why the authorities have decided to implement governmental plans to solve the problem. Through them, they pay professional snake hunters to kill these specimens. This is the case of Donna Kalil, who takes advantage of the nights to go hunting in search of the reptiles.

She declared to HuffPost that she does not like to kill them, but that she has gotten rid of more than 700 specimens. The authorities offer $175 per snake, with the option of bonuses if nests containing eggs are also killed. And that’s not all. Every year, Florida holds the Phyton Challenge, in which citizens are encouraged to kill as many snakes as possible in exchange for a $10,000 prize!

Burmese phyton is winning

Despite attempts, researchers claim that only 12,000 snakes have been eliminated in 20 years. Biologists have joined forces, tracking and monitoring the snakes’ movements to understand their movements and make them easier to find. As if the consequences of this species were not enough, Kalil states that there is another invasive species that could help (or not). This is the Tegu, a South American lizard that feeds on birds and reptile eggs. Will this help reduce the snake population or have even worse consequences?