Heat Waves, Drought and, Great, Now Giant Snakes
You know those stories you hear regularly from South Florida about giant escaped pythons wolfing down pet poodles? Well, a changing climate in the U.S. means you might have to keep Fifi safe from roaming invasive snakes even if you live as far north as Norman, Oklahoma.
The U.S. Geological Survey (USGS) this week released new climate maps showing that Burmese pythons, an invasive species of snake now comfortably at home in the Everglades, could extend their range to as much as a third of the continental U.S. by 2100 as the climate warms.
- » See also: Florida Hails Good News for Environment, Climate
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While there’s no guarantee the pythons will find the types of food and shelter they like farther north, the temperatures across not only all of Florida — but much of Texas, Oklahoma, Arkansas, Louisiana, Mississippi, Alabama, Georgia and North and South Carolina as well, along with parts of California, Arizona and New Mexico — will likely be toasty enough for the snakes by the end of this century, USGS researchers say.
“Wildlife managers are concerned that these snakes, which can grow to over 20 feet long and more than 250 pounds, pose a danger to state- and federally listed threatened and endangered species as well as to humans,” said Bob Reed, a USGS wildlife biologist who helped develop the maps. “Several endangered species have already been found in the snakes’ stomachs. Pythons could have even more significant environmental and economic consequences if they were to spread from Florida to other states.”
I love Austin, but if giant snakes move to Texas then I am leaving.
LOL!!! Austin is awesome, by the way: I visited there for the first time last fall and I am hooked. What a great city! (And pretty good in the green department, too: SustainLane ranked it as the U.S.’s 14th greenest city last year.)
They are already in Arizona…don’t worry about Texas as I am sure they are already along the rivers.
Here there have been sightings along the Gila River of 10-12 foot snakes and along the lower Colorado River near Yuma of up to 20 footers. Heck, near Yuma there have been sighting of Alligators in the Colorado River.
[...] Everglade’s National Park has faced an invasion from giant pythons that prey on nearly any animal, big and small. But according to park biologist Dave Hallac, the problems caused by the spread of pythons pale in [...]
If Burmese pythons maybe coming to Alabama, how soon will they arrive?
In Oklahoma. We had a snake in our bathroom today, it looked like a python. I have seen all the snakes normally native to Oklahoma and this wasn’t one. The head looked just like a python & @ 3 to 3.5 ft. long. By time animal control got here it was gone. Believe me we looked for it everywhere. Had the Bathroom sealed off before AC got here. Only way was to go back down drains or toilet. THEY are now blocked off!!