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Report Documents the Risks of Giant Invasive Snake
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by tigers9 on October 13, 2009
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http://www.usgs.gov/newsroom/article.asp?ID=2324
Report Documents the Risks of Giant Invasive Snakes in the U.S.
Released: 10/13/2009 12:00:00 PM
Contact Information:
U.S. Department of the Interior, U.S. Geological Survey
Office of Communication
119 National Center
Reston, VA 20192
Catherine Puckett (USGS)
Phone: 352-264-3532
Ken Warren (FWS)
Phone: 772-562-3909 x323
Linda Friar (NPS)
Phone: 305-242-7714
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Five giant non-native snake species would pose high risks to the health of ecosystems in the United States should they become established here, according to a U.S. Geological Survey (USGS) report released today.
The USGS report details the risks of nine non-native boa, anaconda and python species that are invasive or potentially invasive in the United States. Because all nine species share characteristics associated with greater risks, none was found to be a low ecological risk. Two of these species are documented as reproducing in the wild in South Florida, with population estimates for Burmese pythons in the tens of thousands.
Based on the biology and known natural history of the giant constrictors, individuals of some species may also pose a small risk to people, although most snakes would not be large enough to consider a person as suitable prey. Mature individuals of the largest species—Burmese, reticulated, and northern and southern African pythons—have been documented as attacking and killing people in the wild in their native range, though such unprovoked attacks appear to be quite rare, the report authors wrote. The snake most associated with unprovoked human fatalities in the wild is the reticulated python. The situation with human risk is similar to that experienced with alligators: attacks in the wild are improbable but possible.
“This report clearly reveals that these giant snakes threaten to destabilize some of our most precious ecosystems and parks, primarily through predation on vulnerable native species,” said Dr. Robert Reed, a coauthor of the report and a USGS invasive species scientist and herpetologist.
High-risk species—Burmese pythons, northern and southern African pythons, boa constrictors and yellow anacondas—put larger portions of the U.S. mainland at risk, constitute a greater ecological threat, or are more common in trade and commerce. Medium-risk species—reticulated python, Deschauensee’s anaconda, green anaconda and Beni anaconda—constitute lesser threats in these areas, but still are potentially serious threats.
The USGS scientists who authored the report emphasized that native U.S. birds, mammals, and reptiles in areas of potential invasion have never had to deal with huge predatory snakes before—individuals of the largest three species reach lengths of more than 20 feet and upwards of 200 pounds. The reticulated python is the world’s longest snake, and the green anaconda is the heaviest snake. Both species have been found in the wild in South Florida, although breeding populations are not yet confirmed for either.
Breeding populations have been confirmed in South Florida for Burmese pythons and the boa constrictor, and there is strong evidence that the northern African python may have a breeding population in the wild as well.
“Compounding their risk to native species and ecosystems is that these snakes mature early, produce large numbers of offspring, travel long distances, and have broad diets that allow them to eat most native birds and mammals,” said Dr. Gordon Rodda, a USGS scientist at the Fort Collins Science Center and the other coauthor of the report.
In addition, he said, most of these snakes can inhabit a variety of habitats and are quite tolerant of urban or suburban areas. Boa constrictors and northern African pythons, for example, already live wild in the Miami metropolitan area.
The report notes that there are no control tools yet that seem adequate for eradicating an established population of giant snakes once they have spread over a large area. Making the task of eradication more difficult is that in the wild these snakes are extremely difficult to find since their camouflaged coloration enables them to blend in well with their surroundings.
“We have a cautionary tale with the American island of Guam and the brown treesnake,” said Reed. “Within 40 years of its arrival, this invasive snake has decimated the island’s native wildlife—10 of Guam’s 12 native forest birds, one of its two bat species, and about half of its native lizards are gone. The python introduction to Florida is so recent that the tally of ecological damage cannot yet be made.”
USGS researchers used the best available science to forecast areas of the country most at risk of invasion by these giant snakes. Based on climate alone, many of the species would be limited to the warmest areas of the United States, including parts of Florida, extreme south Texas, Hawaii, and America’s tropical islands, such as Puerto Rico, Guam, and other Pacific islands. For a few species, however, larger areas of the continental United States appear to exhibit suitable climatic conditions. For example, much of the southern U.S. climatic conditions are similar to those experienced by the Burmese python in its native range. However, many factors other than climate alone can influence whether a species can establish a population in a particular location, the report notes.
The Fish and Wildlife Service and the National Park Service will use the report to assist in further development of management actions concerning the snakes when and where these species appear in the wild. In addition, the risk assessment will provide current, science-based information for management authorities to evaluate prospective regulations that might prevent further colonization of the U.S. by these snakes. The 300-page report provides a comprehensive review of the biology of these species as well as the risk assessment.
Resources
View the risk-assessment report
Questions and Answers about this report
View b-roll video and image gallery (below)
Read U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service information on injurious wildlife
Everglade National Park web page for the Burmese Python species profile.
Scientific Names
Indian or Burmese Python (Python molurus)
Northern African Python (Python sebae)
Southern African Python (Python natalensis)
Reticulated Python (Python [or Broghammerus] reticulatus)
Boa Constrictor (Boa constrictor)
Green Anaconda (Eunectes murinus)
Yellow Anaconda (Eunectes notaeus)
Beni or Bolivian Anaconda (Eunectes beniensis)
De Schauensee’s Anaconda (Eunectes deschauenseei)
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USGS provides science for a changing world. For more information, visit www.usgs.gov.
Subscribe to USGS News Releases via our electronic mailing list or RSS feed.
**** www.usgs.gov ****
Links and contacts within this release are valid at the time of publication.
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RE: Report Documents the Risks of Giant Invasive S
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by nightwolf on October 13, 2009
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Tens of thousands ??? How many have actually been found , and how many of those can be believed ?
Kenny
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RE: Report Documents the Risks of Giant Invasive S
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by Cro on October 13, 2009
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It really is amazing that the USGS continues to issue statements about invasive snakes.
These folks are not Herpetologists.
One has to wonder just who is paying them off to continue to issue statements without any scientific studies to back the claims they are making ?
Best Regards
John Z
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RE: Report Documents the Risks of Giant Invasive S
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by SwampY on October 14, 2009
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John, Our own federal government is paying them off with billions in grant money for everglades restoration. It's all about the $$$, and they've whored their research out to the highest paying john.
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RE: Report Documents the Risks of Giant Invasive S
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by Cro on October 14, 2009
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Yep Chad, everyone wants a share of that Federal Grant Money.
What say you and I set up a fence and stock it with some pythons and see if they survive the winter here in Georgia?
I wonder just how much grant money we could get for something like that ?
Best Regards
John Z
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RE: Report Documents the Risks of Giant Invasive S
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by tigers9 on October 14, 2009
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swampy, if prostitution is illegal everywhere in the US except in some Nv counties under certain population number, how can our gov get away with being a ho ho ho, and let Johns do it??? What lubrication do Johns use anyway to sqeeze more dough out of our goverment to ban pet snakes???
maybe we need to ban Johns,MEN, which most of our gov is MALES,...inprison them,... I mean, if we go by WHAT IFFS used by anti pythons ho ho hos, all men have THE equipment to be potential rapists...
Z (my sarcams has no limits lately)
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RE: Report Documents the Risks of Giant Invasive S
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by tigers9 on October 14, 2009
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pictigaster1, i was responding to swampys comment that said:<<It's all about the $$$, and they've whored their research out to the highest paying john>>
So i was just going, sarcastically, with the government/researchers as HOs theme, bending over for money
Am I pulling Dennis Miller here?
Z
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