Burmese pythons found slithering further north

Author: Jillian Haggerty Writer: Matias Abril
Published: Updated:
Burmese python (Photo via Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission)

The Burmese python is a non-native invasive snake that the Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission says has been present in South Florida for decades, but it is now being found further north in Southwest Florida.

We spoke with Sarah Funck, the section leader for the FWC’s wildlife impact management program, about this discovery.

“We now have, unfortunately, a large established breeding population of Burmese pythons in the Everglades, and typically, we say their range is from Lake Okeechobee south to
the northern Keys,” Funck said.

FWC said that Burmese pythons were discovered in Lee, Charlotte and Sarasota counties in the past nine years, but they are still working to find out why.

“Are they migrating from that southern Everglades population, or are they their own unique introduction? We aren’t sure yet,” Funck said.

FWC is asking for help with a survey to see exactly where these reptiles are being found.

This was done after 12 of the 25 reported python observations resulted in captures or were found dead on the road and removed.

The map below shows how the Burmese pythons have spread, according to the U.S. Geological Survey, stretching north to as far as Charlotte County.

python

We asked Funck what was making the snakes slither farther north.

“Probably just a few escaped or released individuals, and they are probably their own pocket, but until we get genetic work done with our partners, we probably won’t know the
answer to that for a while,” Funck said.

If you are out and about, what are the odds that you will run into one of them?

“Burmese pythons, in general, are very hard to find. They are cryptic and camouflage. They blend in very well with the Everglades environment, and generally
speaking, we don’t see pythons in urban or developed areas,” Funck said.

We asked what you do if you come across a Burmese python. FWC said they aren’t like alligators and won’t comfortably go into your backyard, but in the slight chance that they do, they said to not approach it. Just take a photo and call FWC.

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