Thursday, October 06, 2005

Python vs. alligator in swamp

It's like the Freddy vs. Jason of the animal world! But seriously, invasive species are such a threat, I don't think that people should be allowed to own exotic pets and especially not in cases where there is concern that they might become invasive species - because it's obvious that they aren't responsible enough to take proper precautions. Would it be so much harder to take your exotic pet to an animal sanctuary than to let it out of the car in the everglades like you would with a dog in farm country?
I just don't get it, you have to have this pet so much that you are prepared to drive them into extinction in their natural habitat and then you get it and can't take care of it and you release it into a vulnerable habitat where it doesn't have any predators and can run wild and drive a bunch of the native species into extinction. I don't know, but it seems pretty obvious to me that this is incredibly irresponsible behavior. So if people can't be responsible, shouldn't the government step in and put out some guidelines, like no private citizen can own this animal.
On the other hand, it wouldn't matter in Ontario because you don't even need a licence to be a zoo!

Wednesday, October 5, 2005 Posted: 2226 GMT (0626 HKT)
MIAMI, Florida (AP) -- The alligator has some foreign competition at the top of the Everglades food chain, and the results of the struggle are horror-movie messy.
A 13-foot Burmese python recently burst after it apparently tried to swallow a live, six-foot alligator whole, authorities said.
The incident has heightened biologists' fears that the nonnative snakes could threaten a host of other animal species in the Everglades. (Watch: Not the only python in Everglades -- 2:03)
"It means nothing in the Everglades is safe from pythons, a top-down predator," said Frank Mazzotti, a University of Florida wildlife professor.
Over the years, many pythons have been abandoned in the Everglades by pet owners.
The gory evidence of the latest gator-python encounter -- the fourth documented in the past three years -- was discovered and photographed last week by a helicopter pilot and wildlife researcher.
The snake was found with the gator's hindquarters protruding from its midsection. Mazzotti said the alligator may have clawed at the python's stomach as the snake tried to digest it.
In previous incidents, the alligator won or the battle was an apparent draw.
"There had been some hope that alligators can control Burmese pythons," Mazzotti said. "This indicates to me it's going to be an even draw. Sometimes alligators are going to win and sometimes the python will win."
It is unknown how many pythons are competing with the thousands of alligators in the Everglades, but at least 150 have been captured in the past two years, said Joe Wasilewski, a wildlife biologist and crocodile tracker.
Pythons could threaten many smaller species that conservationists are trying to protect, including other reptiles, otters, squirrels, woodstorks and sparrows, Mazzotti said.
Wasilewski said a 10- or 20-foot python also could pose a risk to an unwary human, especially a child. He added, however, "I don't think this is an imminent threat. This is not a `Be afraid, be very afraid' situation."'

2 comments:

Jennifer said...

BTW click on the title for the excellently gory picture and there was even some video with the article on the CNN website.

Princess Pessimism said...

I couldnt get the link to work...