Python the size of the giraffe found in the United States - why this invasive species cannot be stopped
The record reptile is still only a small part of a much more important problem.
Although they are not aggressive towards humans, it is undeniable performing on a snake Unexpectedly can be disturbing, even if you are not particularly afraid of them. However, it is a completely different scenario if the reptile in question is greater than most people could not imagine. Now, a python the size of the giraffe present in the United States makes the headlines - and for more than its record length. Read the rest to find out why this invasive species cannot be stopped.
Read this then: A venomous snake spotted swimming through the lake: "It's a new fear" .
A man from Florida recently captured a Burmese python 19 feet long.
For many, the idea of a giant Snake hides nearby is the cloth of the nightmares. But a Florida resident hoping to help his recently taken local ecosystem the terrifying scenario In front, capturing the longest Burmese python ever recorded, reports NPR.
On July 10, Python Hunter Jake Walieri I came across one of the snakes when he was in Big Cypress National Pre -Serve in Florida. After an initial struggle documented on His Instagram account , he was finally able to fight and capture the reptile with the help of other Wranglers. But it was only when the animal was given to the conservation of the southwest of Florida that it discovered that it was the The biggest ever documented , beating the world record at 19 feet long - as high as the height of a giraffe and weighing 125 pounds.
"It was the only snake I have never seen who scared me enough where I just didn't know what to do," Waleri said about the experience in a video published by The Conservancy. "It was a fight, and it was a good one, certainly to remember," he said.
Snakes create a serious environmental problem as an invasive species.
While snakes generally play a vital role in their ecosystems, the Burmese python was anything but useful in the south of Florida. The invasive species has become increasingly problematic Since they were recorded for the first time in nature around 2000, animal owners have probably released them and that they started to reproduce.
According to the US Geological Survey (USGS), snakes feed more than 70 types of local mammals In areas respectful of the environment in and around Florida Everglades, The New York Times reported in March. The absence of natural predators has led the State to establish an annual hunting with cash prices in the hope of shooting the reptiles and slowing down or stopping their current propagation, which residents like Waleri have taken these last years.
"It's great to be able to have an impact on the southern Florida environment," he said in a press release from The Conservancy. "We love this ecosystem and try to preserve it as much as possible."
Stephen Gauta , a python hunter who accompanied Walieri during his discovery, agreed that the difficult task was worth it. "It is quite terrifying to know that these animals are so destructive for our ecosystem. But knowing that we can go there and take care of monsters like this one and getting them out of the Everything is something that makes me feel good "He said in the video published by The Conservancy.
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Capture could help scientists better understand the growing problem.
In addition to certifying that the reptile was indeed a record size, Walieri said he knew that bringing it to conservation could be a way for scientists to help solve the problem of their end.
"We had the feeling that these snakes are so large, and now we have clear evidence," said Ian Easterling, conservancy biologist, in the press release. "His genetic material can be precious for a possible understanding of the founding population of the southern Florida."
And the increasing size of the snake does not only concern the rights to boast: it is also a source of concern . "They become enormous while eating our native fauna," said Easterling, by USA today . "The bonus is that these guys who captured it, they brought it to us for the official measures, so we will collect genetic information and diet information and other data."
Experts say that invasive species will be much more difficult to stop than many think it.
Unfortunately, the question of invasive snakes will not disappear alone. Only a few days before the capture of the huge reptile, those responsible reported another record discovery when they removed 111 eggs And the mother almost 14 feet long which deposited them from the Everything, marking the largest Burmese Python nest never found in Florida, USA today reports. AE0FCC31AE342FD3A1346EBB1F342FCB
However, the two discoveries highlight how complex the reptiles of the reptiles are devastating the ecosystem will probably be. And according to experts, it is not the one who can have a permanent solution.
"I don't think there is a scenario in which nothing can be done", " Charles Van Rees , PHD, scientific conservation and naturalist at the University of Georgia, previously told Better life . "That said, all our solutions are now in a gray compromise area between the quantity of ecological integrity of Florida that we want to keep and how ready to spend to keep it. Managing the invasive species is extremely expensive and you Must do it forever. "
He added that it is important to start managing pythons if they cannot be eradicated, in particular by focusing on certain areas where fauna must be protected. "The worst case is to do nothing and let things go on as they are," he warned.
