Are there invasive reptiles other than Burmese pythons in the United States that people should be concerned about?
Free-ranging snakes representing dozens of species from around the world are discovered in the United States in any given year, usually as a result of escapees or illegal releases, but most of these have not established reproductive populations.
Florida is a major transportation hub and has a climate that’s suitable for many invasive species. As a result, the state has the world’s largest number of established non-indigenous reptile and amphibian species. Those include 3 frogs, 4 turtles, 1 crocodilian, 43 lizards, and 5 snakes.
Any animal can be problematic when released in places where it is not native. The safest policy is to find an appropriate home for any animal that is no longer wanted because disposal or release in the wild can do great environmental harm.
It is highly likely that additional species of potentially harmful reptiles (for example Nile monitors and Argentine tegus) will spread through south Florida in coming years.
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Invasive species research within the U.S. Geological Survey’s Ecosystems Mission Area focuses on invasive organisms throughout the United States. U.S. Geological Survey scientists work with partners in the Department of the Interior, other Federal, State and Territorial agencies, Tribes, industry, and agriculture to provide the information needed...
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Invasive Species Science Branch: research and management tools for controlling invasive species
Invasive, nonnative species of plants, animals, and disease organisms adversely affect the ecosystems they enter. Like “biological wildfires,” they can quickly spread and affect nearly all terrestrial and aquatic ecosystems. Invasive species have become one of the greatest environmental challenges of the 21st century in economic,...
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Giant Constrictors: Biological and Management Profiles and an Establishment Risk Assessment for Nine Large Species of Pythons, Anacondas, and the Boa Constrictor
Giant Constrictors: Biological and Management Profiles and an Establishment Risk Assessment for Nine Large Species of Pythons, Anacondas, and the Boa Constrictor, estimates the ecological risks associated with colonization of the United States by nine large constrictors. The nine include the world's four largest snake species (Green Anaconda,...
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Amphibian declines and extinctions have been documented around the world, often in protected natural areas. Concern for this alarming trend has prompted the U.S. Geological Survey and the National Park Service to document all species of amphibians that occur within U.S. National Parks and to search for any signs that amphibians may be declining....
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Herpetofaunal Inventories of the National Parks of South Florida and the Caribbean: Volume II. Virgin Islands National Park
Amphibian declines and extinctions have been documented around the world, often in protected natural areas. Concern for this alarming trend has focused attention on the need to document all species of amphibians that occur within U.S. National Parks and to search for any signs that amphibians may be declining. This study, an inventory of amphibian...
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Amphibian declines and extinctions have been documented around the world, often in protected natural areas. Concern for this trend has prompted the U.S. Geological Survey and the National Park Service to document all species of amphibians that occur within U.S. National Parks and to search for any signs that amphibians may be declining. This study...
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Brown treesnake (Boiga irregularis) fact sheet for Pacific Island residents and travelers
The brown treesnake is an introduced species on Guam that has become a serious pest. The snakes probably arrived on Guam hidden in ship cargo from the New Guinea area, about 1100 miles to the south. The first sightings were inland from the seaport in the early 1950s. Snakes became conspicuous throughout central Guam by the 1960s, and by 1968, they...
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Amphibian declines and extinctions have been documented around the world, often in protected natural areas. Concern for this alarming trend has prompted the U.S. Geological Survey and the National Park Service to document all species of amphibians that occur within U.S. National Parks and to search for any signs that amphibians may be declining....
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Invasive Burmese Python
Invasive Burmese python in the Greater Everglades Photograph credit: Brian Smith, USGS
Invasive black and white tegu lizards (Salvator merianae).
Invasive black and white tegu lizards (Salvator merianae). USGS is working on development of tools for the detection and capture of invasive reptiles in Florida.
An unwanted visitor - a brown treesnake in someone's shower on Guam.
USGS Biological Science Technician Michelle Collier holds an invasive
Python - big one - Mike Rochford_jcg edit_snake edit.jpg
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Under Siege: Battling Flying Carp and Giant Pythons and How Science Can Help
Over the last several decades, non-native species have continued to invade sensitive ecosystems in the United States. Two high-profile species, Asian carp in the Midwest and Burmese pythons in the Everglades, are the focus of much attention by decision makers, the public and the media. Sharon Gross, Robert Reed and Cynthia Kolar discuss issues related to invasive species
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Radiotelemetered Tegu
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Record-Breaking Burmese Python (17 feet, 7 inches, 87 eggs) Captured by The USGS, B-roll
Big Ol‘ Gal
This female Burmese python broke the records for her length — 17 feet, 7 inches — and the number of eggs she contained: 87. She was first captured in Everglades National Park by USGS researchers in the spring of 2012, when they followed a "Judas snake" – a male python with a transmitter – and found her nearby in the bushes. USGS scientists then
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A brown treesnake in a tree in Guam.
This is an image of a brown treesnake in a tree in Guam, taken in 2009.
Science Seeks to Stem Snake Surge
Right now in Florida, non-native, giant constrictor snakes—pythons, anacondas, and the boa constrictor—are being found in the wild, and two species have established several breeding populations. The snakes pose a considerable resource management challenge for agencies charged with preserving native ecosystems and species. USGS research wildlife biologist Bob Reed discusses
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Constrictor Snakes (B-roll)
Video footage (B-roll) of Everglades National Park biologists hunting and capturing a Burmese Python in Florida.