Reasons for Success
Even though the Burmese Python is invasive to the U.S. it has managed spread across thousands of square miles in southern Florida. What makes them able to thrive in the Southern Florida environment is that the high reproductive potential, low vulnerability to predation, large adult body size, large offspring size and high dietary breadth. Without any predators, the Burmese Python has spread through areas such as the Florida everglades wildly. Without a common predator, the Burmese Python has been eating many of the wildlife without being stopped. It has no competition, so it has been able to multiply and dominate the areas in which they live in.
Negative Effects
The Burmese Pythons are among the larges snakes in the world, reaching sizes of up to 26 feet long. The massive size makes them a top predator in all of the places that they are inhabiting. They do not have any natural predators because they are invasive. They are known to prey on many animals, including raccoons, rabbits, bobcats, House Wrens, and even White-tailed deer. All of these species have shown rapid declines in their populations. Many critically endangered animals, such as the Wood Rat, have been found in the digestive systems of Pythons.
The Pythons are disrupting the natural food chain, and this can cause many serious impacts to an ecosystem. For example, they are declining the population of bobcats, and bobcats eat squirrels. Since there is a decline of bobcats, there are not enough predators to squirrels. This increases the population of squirrels in the areas that Burmese Pythons are located.
The Pythons also present a threat to native snakes, such as the Eastern Diamondback and the Eastern Indigo snake. The Python completely dwarf these snakes and do not leave enough food for them, which causes the native snakes to die.
The Pythons are disrupting the natural food chain, and this can cause many serious impacts to an ecosystem. For example, they are declining the population of bobcats, and bobcats eat squirrels. Since there is a decline of bobcats, there are not enough predators to squirrels. This increases the population of squirrels in the areas that Burmese Pythons are located.
The Pythons also present a threat to native snakes, such as the Eastern Diamondback and the Eastern Indigo snake. The Python completely dwarf these snakes and do not leave enough food for them, which causes the native snakes to die.