Nature & Environment
Invasive Burmese Pythons May Use Common Areas in the Florida Everglades
Catherine Griffin
First Posted: Apr 29, 2015 08:17 AM EDT
The Burmese python has invaded the Everglades and other regions, gobbling up eggs, birds and rodents. Now, a new study is providing researches with new information that may help target control efforts of this invasive species.
The Burmese python is long-lived, large-bodied and native to Southeast Asia. These ambush predators can reach lengths greater than 19 feet and produce large clutches of eggs that can range from eight to 107. They were first discovered in Everglades National Park in 1979 and since then, they've wreaked havoc on the natural ecosystem.
In this latest study, the researchers used radio and GPS to track 19 wild-caught pythons. This revealed how the snakes moved within their home ranges. In all, the scientists collected 5,119 days of tracking data; in the end, they found that python home ranges are an average of 3 miles wide by three miles long.
Interestingly, the scientists discovered that Burmese pythons share some "common areas." Multiple snakes use these areas, which means that they may be good targets for control efforts.
"These high-use areas may be optimal locations for control efforts and further studies on the snakes' potential impacts on native wildlife," said Kristen Hart, lead author of the new study, in a new release. "Understanding habitat-use patterns of invasive species can aid resource managers in designing appropriately timed and scaled management strategies to help control their spread."
The scientists found that the pythons were mainly concentrated in slough and coastal habitats; tree islands were the principal feature of common-use areas, even in areas where they were not the predominant habitat type. The longest movements of individual pythons occurred during dry conditions.
The findings are crucial for better understanding how best to curtail the spread of the Burmese python. This is especially important in the Everglades, which is a refuge for rare birds and other species.
The findings are published in the journal Animal Biotelemetry.
For more great science stories and general news, please visit our sister site, Headlines and Global News (HNGN).
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First Posted: Apr 29, 2015 08:17 AM EDT
The Burmese python has invaded the Everglades and other regions, gobbling up eggs, birds and rodents. Now, a new study is providing researches with new information that may help target control efforts of this invasive species.
The Burmese python is long-lived, large-bodied and native to Southeast Asia. These ambush predators can reach lengths greater than 19 feet and produce large clutches of eggs that can range from eight to 107. They were first discovered in Everglades National Park in 1979 and since then, they've wreaked havoc on the natural ecosystem.
In this latest study, the researchers used radio and GPS to track 19 wild-caught pythons. This revealed how the snakes moved within their home ranges. In all, the scientists collected 5,119 days of tracking data; in the end, they found that python home ranges are an average of 3 miles wide by three miles long.
Interestingly, the scientists discovered that Burmese pythons share some "common areas." Multiple snakes use these areas, which means that they may be good targets for control efforts.
"These high-use areas may be optimal locations for control efforts and further studies on the snakes' potential impacts on native wildlife," said Kristen Hart, lead author of the new study, in a new release. "Understanding habitat-use patterns of invasive species can aid resource managers in designing appropriately timed and scaled management strategies to help control their spread."
The scientists found that the pythons were mainly concentrated in slough and coastal habitats; tree islands were the principal feature of common-use areas, even in areas where they were not the predominant habitat type. The longest movements of individual pythons occurred during dry conditions.
The findings are crucial for better understanding how best to curtail the spread of the Burmese python. This is especially important in the Everglades, which is a refuge for rare birds and other species.
The findings are published in the journal Animal Biotelemetry.
For more great science stories and general news, please visit our sister site, Headlines and Global News (HNGN).
See Now: NASA's Juno Spacecraft's Rendezvous With Jupiter's Mammoth Cyclone