Burmese Python Invasion in the Everglades
In Burmese Python Invasion in the Everglades, Burmese pythons have become a real threat to the Everglades’ natural wildlife. Paid contractors patrol the wetlands and trap adult pythons to reduce their devastating impact on the natural wildlife. This video is excerpted from BBC's Natural World Florida: America's Animal Paradise, a series displaying Florida’s diverse wildlife and its resilience against increasing environmental threats.
Lesson Express
Q: Why do invasive species like the Burmese python thrive in the Everglades if they are not native to the habitat?
A: The warm and sunny climate is favorable to many invasive species. Also, many invasive species have few natural predators.
Q: Why are the pythons such a threat to Florida’s natural wildlife?
A: The Burmese python has no known predators, and it can lay up to 100 eggs, so their numbers are increasing without any natural way to keep their numbers in check. The pythons have eaten 98% of the mammals in the Everglades.
Q: How have humans contributed to the problem and how are they helping?
A: Humans brought the pythons to Florida with the pet trade in the 1970s. Pet owners have released them into the wild. Now humans are patrolling the Everglades and collecting pythons to get them out of the ecosystem.
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