Burmese Python Research Paper

Words: 619
Pages: 3

The Burmese python is a carnivorous reptile, one of the largest snakes in the world. The Burmese python has patterned skin and averages between sixteen and twenty-three feet long, weighing about 200 pounds. These huge reptiles have a native habitat is southeast Asia, thriving in the jungles and grassy marshes. They were introduced intentionally and accidentally. Pet owners in the Florida Everglades first documented this reptile in 2000. The Burmese python has become a serious issue in the Florida Everglades. The pet owners of a Burmese python in Florida care for the large reptile until they grow to be so huge that they can no longer care for them. They then release them into the wild, creating issues maintaining the animals. This invasive species is threatening to the Florida Everglades ecosystem. This huge animal preys on some endangered species, such as the Key …show more content…
Prevention and assessment of new species, management and control of established species, and education and outreach have been the methods used. These methods have been effective in general, except for the people in the Florida Everglades who keep the Burmese python as a pet and release them when they become too much to handle. Another approach is the Python Patrol. The Python Patrol is a phone number that people can call if a Burmese python is spotted and they will come and control the situation and catch the snake. The only species that are a natural predator to the Burmese python are alligators and humans. The humans are only called when someone spots the snake and needs the situation to be controlled. These natural predators are not specific to the Burmese python because humans and alligators are predators for other species too. The Burmese python is so large that not many other animals can physically be a predator to it. However, the Python Patrol was set up to also help control the growth of the