HarryG's BLOG

Pythons are spreading in Florida ... maybe to Louisiana!

I read in today's Shreveport Times that giant Burmese pythons, which grow up to twenty feet in length and weigh up to 250 pounds and eat everything "from birds to mammals (muskrats, rabbits, cats, dogs, deer, etc.)  to alligators", are spreading farther throughout Florida. A recent study revealed that even newly hatched pythons can survive an average of a month in full-strength seawater and older snakes can survive many months swimming across seawater. This means there is no physical barrier (seawater) to stop the spread of the pythons from the Everglades and Keys, where they are now thriving, farther up the coast line, maybe eventually to other Gulf Coast states, even to Louisiana and Texas. It had been hoped that being unable to survive swimming in the open seawater would prevent them from spreading. Not so! Bummer.

I first read about pythons being found in the Florida Everglades back in 2008. I wrote a poem about it then:

Florida Has Pythons!  (13+) A fanciful look at the establishment of Burmese pythons in Florida. #1473636 by Harry

Cheers! ... and watch out for spreading pythons.

Harry