|
RE: Pythons are coming to SC!
|
Reply
|
|
by tigers9 on June 13, 2009
|
Mail this to a friend!
|
problem is it is one year study only, meaning, you can have one warm SC winter when the study is occuring and pythons will live, never mind it might be followed by 3 winters when they would die, but the study will be over.Sorry, but in the big scheme of things, 7 boy pythons in one year study will not give definite answer. Also, would the eggs survive the incubation in cold winter?
In my B&w world, this study is like, oh well, if you date a girl for more than 3 weeks, sex included, she is a marriage material, oh really, is she?;-)Z
|
| |
|
RE: Pythons are coming to SC!
|
Reply
|
|
by PeterRuegner on June 13, 2009
|
Mail this to a friend!
|
|
I agree with tigers9. This study needs to be conducted for more than a year and by more than one group, particularly one which is not Government affiliated. One who does not stand to gain possibly both State and Federal grants for research. After all, it would be bad if the biolosts for whatever reaason did decide to push their own agenda. Not saying the biologists would do this, but I unfortuantely have my own doubts about it.
|
| |
|
RE: Pythons are coming to SC!
|
Reply
|
|
by thenewdisciple on June 13, 2009
|
Mail this to a friend!
|
|
Well there you go SC natives. Conduct and document your own study. Just burn the results if you find that Burms can survive SC winters!
|
| |
|
RE: Pythons are coming to SC!
|
Reply
|
|
by Cro on June 13, 2009
|
Mail this to a friend!
|
A study like this is mostly menaingless. Just another way for folks like Dorcas to get Federal research money. Nothing against him, he writes some good books, and is a very knowledgable herpetologist. If I was in his place, I would probably apply for that Federal money also, while it was available.
The pythons there have been provided with meter and a half deep caves, which is well below the frost line. So, if they are smart enough to use those holes, they should survive the winters. They are going to be fed, so they do not have to worry about hunting for food.
Also, many parts of the SRP are above ambient temperatures due to the reactors creating warm water. Is the pond in the enclosure really normal temperature, or, is it warm all year long, as many of the creeks in the SRP are ? That is how so many ginormous turtles were found there, as they did not have to hibernate.
Also, pythons in a enclosure are protected from predation, so the survival numbers will be a bit off. If they were out wandering around, some would die from things like automobiles, bears, alligators, disease, etc.
I wonder just how much Federal $$ is going to this SC project. The nitwhit Florida biologist that came up with the unprooven 150,000 pythons in the glades had a $250,000 / 5 year grant, which is about to expire. Sure hope they do not renew that one !
Hey, if someone wants to pay me $50,000 a year, I will put up a fense in my backyard, and dump a bunch of Burmese pythons in there. I will even feed them once every 2 weeks. And, I will keep notes on the survival. How about it Feds ? Can I get one of those cool public grants too ?
Best Regards
John Z
|
| |
|
RE: Pythons are coming to SC!
|
Reply
|
|
by pictigaster1 on June 13, 2009
|
Mail this to a friend!
|
|
Fact there is an agenda.It is money or law.The fact is this type of study always has an agenda and to say there is not is naive .Someone wants results one way or the other that is an agenda.
|
| |
|
RE: Pythons are coming to SC!
|
Reply
|
|
by Adamanteus70 on June 14, 2009
|
Mail this to a friend!
|
South Carolina is a State that is quickly enacting regulations and laws against the reptile Industry, and one person to help aid and write these regualtions is Steve Bennett, of SC DNR. Steve has a personal problem with snake hunters, turtle keepers, and captive collections. He has assisted or made regulations such as the protection of the Southern Hognose, Spotted Turtle(which is highly abundant), and the current native turtle regulations in the State. Steve has affiliations with SREL, and will most likely be a part of this research in one way or another.
I will put money on this that the snakes will survive if fed, given shelter and warm water in which to soak. John you are right, the water is warmer, and the region is warmer in the winter months. Funny how they "picked" that location. Why not a little farther north away from man controller circumstances? They should give them heat rocks too since they are going to live in a large man controlled cage anyway.
An all male Burmese is a controlled situation. The brumation of females for fat follicules, incubation of eggs in winter season, and viable sperm counts for males, all of this makes a viable study. That is a Burmese pythons cycle of life. And the snakes are all very small (8' or smaller) because a 14 foot burm would cruise right over a 8' slanted wall. Literally stand up and glide right over the inner lip. Do they think the reptile community are idiots?
I say no burrows, unless the pythons dig them themselves, because they are helping them survive, natural temperature water source, no feeding - let them eat what they can catch(thats how it's done in the real world) and use females also to see if they can produce eggs and if males are producing viable sperm to fertilize the fat foliculs in those females that do ovulate.
SC residents prepare to have your python keeping rights taken away, because SC DNR is GOING to end up with the results, and it is another foot hold to ban the sale and keeping of pythons in your State.
Is there a link to his study so that the public knows how much it will cost them? How much did this wall cost? Labor to build it? Funding for the one year is how much?
The pythons are said to have chips implanted in them so that if they escape they can be tracked, okay, I thought the article said an escape proof wall??? See they already have a doubt.
This whole study sounds bogus and just a reason to waste tax payers dollars and create a cushiony position for someone who has nothing better to do. I remember an old saying - something about monkies and footballs...
This study does have an agenda whether you want to admit it or not, any fool could see that.
Paul
|
| |
|
RE: Pythons are coming to SC!
|
Reply
|
|
by AquaHerp on June 14, 2009
|
Mail this to a friend!
|
Seems to me like a valid idea. Theories are just theories and conjecture is simple conjecture without cold hard facts. I can't see what the opposition is? The initial "sky is falling" account said that these animals can, and will, survive all the way up the coast. Why not have a valid study that tests this?
The burrows are deep enough to avoid the frost line and these snakes are quite able to come across these burrows naturally occurring in the wild.
So, let's say the snakes are fed. Once a week, once a month..... is this to say that a free-roaming snake would not be eating more often? Snakes are capable of long periods without food, this does not mean they purposely fast themselves to watch their girlish figures. They are opportunistic and will eat when food is available and secured.
If the test is being run out of the Savannah River locale, my bet is that it will be valid and watched closely. Ever stop to think that the persons running the tests also believe these snakes won't invade the country? Wait and see before you criticize.
DH
|
| |
|
RE: Pythons are coming to SC!
|
Reply
|
|
by tigers9 on June 14, 2009
|
Mail this to a friend!
|
DH, the study is flawed as it is not long enough, one year is not enough. One cold winter could kill them all.
Z
|
| |
|
RE: Pythons are coming to SC!
|
Reply
|
|
by PeterRuegner on June 14, 2009
|
Mail this to a friend!
|
|
So it ultimately comes down to captive snakes in a cage? The enclosure may be large and outside, but it is still a cage. Can accurate and factual information be obtained this way?
|
| |
|
Email Subscription
You are not subscribed to this topic.
Subscribe!
My Subscriptions
Subscriptions Help
Check our help page for help using
, or send questions, comments, or suggestions to the
Manager.
|
