Non-native Burmese pythons have established a breeding population in South Florida and are one of the most concerning invasive species in Everglades National Park. Pythons compete with native wildlife for food, which includes mammals, birds, and other reptiles. Severe mammal declines in Everglades National Park have been linked to Burmese pythons.
The most severe declines in native species have occurred in the remote southernmost regions of Everglades National Park, where pythons have been established the longest. In a 2012 study, populations of raccoons had dropped 99.3 percent, opossums 98.9 percent, and bobcats 87.5 percent since 1997. Marsh rabbits, cottontail rabbits, and foxes effectively disappeared.
The mammals that have declined most significantly have been regularly found in the stomachs of Burmese Pythons removed from Everglades National Park and elsewhere in Florida. Raccoons and opossums often forage for food near the water’s edge, which is a habitat frequented by pythons in search of prey.
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Are large constrictor snakes such as Burmese pythons able to kill people? What is the risk? Would this be in the wild, or in backyards?
Human fatalities from non-venomous snakes are very rare, probably averaging one or two per year worldwide. All known constrictor-snake fatalities in the United States are from captive snakes; these are split between deaths of snake owners who were purposefully interacting with their pet and deaths of small children or infants in homes where a snake was kept captive as a pet. There have been no...
Are there invasive reptiles other than Burmese pythons in the United States that people should be concerned about?
Free-ranging, non-native reptiles representing dozens of species from around the world escape or are illegally released in the United States every year. Many of these species fail to establish reproductive populations, but some are successful. Florida is a major transportation hub and has a climate that’s suitable for many invasive species, so the state has the world’s largest number of...
Can Burmese Pythons swim from the Everglades to the Florida Keys?
A number of Burmese pythons have been found on Key Largo, and a few in the Lower Keys. However, there is as yet no evidence of a breeding population anywhere in the Keys. Because pythons regularly escape or are released from captivity, it can be difficult to determine whether a snake encountered in the Keys arrived there by swimming from the mainland or was a former captive pet on the island...
Can invasive pythons be eradicated?
The odds of eradicating an introduced population of reptiles once it has spread across a large area are very low, pointing to the importance of prevention, early detection and rapid response. And with the Burmese python now distributed across more than a thousand square miles of southern Florida, including all of Everglades National Park and areas to the north such as Big Cypress National Preserve...
Could invasive pythons move into cities?
Boa constrictors and northern African pythons live in or adjacent to the Miami metropolitan area, and in their native ranges various python species and the boa constrictor are often found living in suburban and urban areas. As with alligators, the risk of human attack in urban areas is very low but not absent.
How many Burmese pythons inhabit southern Florida?
Tens of thousands of invasive Burmese pythons are estimated to be present in the Everglades. Learn More: Nonindigenous Aquatic Species - Burmese Python
What should I do if I see a python in the wild?
If you see a python in the wild – or suspect that a snake is a python or an invasive snake – you should take the same precautions for these constrictor snakes as one would take for alligators: avoid interacting with or getting close to them. If you are in Everglades National Park, you can report a python sighting to a park ranger. You can also report the animal via the “Ive Got 1” reporting...
Where are Burmese pythons or other large constrictors distributed in Florida?
The Burmese python is now distributed across more than a thousand square miles of southern Florida, including all of Everglades National Park and areas to the north including Big Cypress National Preserve and Collier-Seminole State Forest. A number of Burmese pythons have been found in the Florida Keys, but there is not yet confirmation of a breeding population in the Keys. A population of boa...
Are invasive snakes dangerous?
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 releases from the pet trade, but most of these don't appear to have established a reproductive population. Any animal can be problematic when released in places where it is not native. For example, the brown tree snake was introduced to...
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- FAQ
Are large constrictor snakes such as Burmese pythons able to kill people? What is the risk? Would this be in the wild, or in backyards?
Human fatalities from non-venomous snakes are very rare, probably averaging one or two per year worldwide. All known constrictor-snake fatalities in the United States are from captive snakes; these are split between deaths of snake owners who were purposefully interacting with their pet and deaths of small children or infants in homes where a snake was kept captive as a pet. There have been no...
Are there invasive reptiles other than Burmese pythons in the United States that people should be concerned about?
Free-ranging, non-native reptiles representing dozens of species from around the world escape or are illegally released in the United States every year. Many of these species fail to establish reproductive populations, but some are successful. Florida is a major transportation hub and has a climate that’s suitable for many invasive species, so the state has the world’s largest number of...
Can Burmese Pythons swim from the Everglades to the Florida Keys?
A number of Burmese pythons have been found on Key Largo, and a few in the Lower Keys. However, there is as yet no evidence of a breeding population anywhere in the Keys. Because pythons regularly escape or are released from captivity, it can be difficult to determine whether a snake encountered in the Keys arrived there by swimming from the mainland or was a former captive pet on the island...
Can invasive pythons be eradicated?
The odds of eradicating an introduced population of reptiles once it has spread across a large area are very low, pointing to the importance of prevention, early detection and rapid response. And with the Burmese python now distributed across more than a thousand square miles of southern Florida, including all of Everglades National Park and areas to the north such as Big Cypress National Preserve...
Could invasive pythons move into cities?
Boa constrictors and northern African pythons live in or adjacent to the Miami metropolitan area, and in their native ranges various python species and the boa constrictor are often found living in suburban and urban areas. As with alligators, the risk of human attack in urban areas is very low but not absent.
How many Burmese pythons inhabit southern Florida?
Tens of thousands of invasive Burmese pythons are estimated to be present in the Everglades. Learn More: Nonindigenous Aquatic Species - Burmese Python
What should I do if I see a python in the wild?
If you see a python in the wild – or suspect that a snake is a python or an invasive snake – you should take the same precautions for these constrictor snakes as one would take for alligators: avoid interacting with or getting close to them. If you are in Everglades National Park, you can report a python sighting to a park ranger. You can also report the animal via the “Ive Got 1” reporting...
Where are Burmese pythons or other large constrictors distributed in Florida?
The Burmese python is now distributed across more than a thousand square miles of southern Florida, including all of Everglades National Park and areas to the north including Big Cypress National Preserve and Collier-Seminole State Forest. A number of Burmese pythons have been found in the Florida Keys, but there is not yet confirmation of a breeding population in the Keys. A population of boa...
Are invasive snakes dangerous?
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 releases from the pet trade, but most of these don't appear to have established a reproductive population. Any animal can be problematic when released in places where it is not native. For example, the brown tree snake was introduced to...
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