More benefits of 3rd world immigrants
Burmese pythons and other giant snakes imported as pets couldendanger some of America’s most important parks and wilderness areas ifthey are allowed to multiply, according to a report released on Tuesday.
Wildlife experts say the Burmese python is distributed acrossthousands of square miles (kilometers) in south Florida. There could betens of thousands in the Everglades, a wildlife refuge that is home tothe Florida panther and other endangered species.
The Burmese python and four other non-native snakes—boaconstrictors, yellow anacondas, northern and southern Africanpythons—are considered “high-risk” threats to the health of U.S.ecosystems because they eat native birds and animals, the U.S.Geological Survey report said.
Two species, the boa constrictor and Burmese python, have alreadyestablished breeding populations in south Florida and experts havefound “strong evidence” that the northern African python may bebreeding in the wild as well.
Florida wildlife officials say the Everglades wetland is a dumpingground for pet owners who find their snakes too large to handle whenthey mature. They eat birds, reptiles, rodents and other small mammalsand are considered a major threat to endangered species like the woodstork and Key Largo woodrat.
