The Python Challenge

      By Florida Bill


                                Hats off to the thousand hunters from 29 different states who went after that nasty Burmese python now making his home in the Florida Everglades, one of the most remarkable ecosystems in the world.  When the 30-day Python Challenge ended in mid February,  the weary stalkers had bagged 106 of these slippery invaders. 
                        Rousting big snakes in the marsh and reeds and swamps of the Everglades is no easy task.  Tom Rahill, known in Florida as the "Snake Whisperer," has said "Be careful--they bite. 
 A big Burmese likes to coil and crush and has hundreds of razor sharp teeth."  Rahill was among those participating in the 2016 Challenge.  
                        The Challenge, with registered hunters,  was the second such event sponsored by the Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission.  The first was in 2013 when 68 snakes were removed from the marshy area full of sawgrass, mud, water, reeds and tree islands that make up the millions of acres of the Everglades in south and central portions of the sunshine state. 
                         In a ceremony marking the conclusion of the hunt,  FWC Commissioner Ron Bergeron and Executive Director Nick Wiley saluted the intrepid winners with certificates and cash prizes for removing the pythons from this area where they were never intended to roam by Mother Nature.
                        Twenty-two year-old Daniel Moniz from New Jersey got bites on his face, neck and arm from an angry 13-footer who refused to surrender easily.  In all, Dan nailed 13 pythons and received $4,500 in prize money for finding the reptiles in and around the levees, warming themselves in the sun.                         
                          Another big winner was Bill Booth, team captain of the outdoor-minded Cypress Boys which captured 33 snakes including a 15-footer, largest of the reptiles.  His team won $8,000, and hardy applause from others at the ceremony. 
                           That 15-footer made a lasting impression on  Booth, a Florida firefighter.  "Sometimes they are lethargic, other times they are ready to fight," said Booth. 
                        "Reading the body language is a must.  This guy wanted to fight and actually wrapped me up a bit and pulled me into waist-high water," he recalled.  "Teammate Dusty Crum got hold of the snake and pulled us both out. Then we grabbed him, one behind the head and one on the tail, and we tucked him into a bag.  Story over.  Fewer pythons in the Everglades." 
                           "We are pleased with the success of this year's hunt," said Commissioner Bergeron.   "While the Everglades may have tens of thousands of these unwelcome reptiles, each python that is removed makes a difference for native wildlife." 
                           The Challenge emphasizes "awareness" which will keep the public involved as we continue our fight against the invasive intruder that can harm one of the great ecosystems in the world,  he added.                                
                           The Burmese python is a non-venomous constrictor, tan in color, and native to India, lower China, the Malay Peninsula and some islands in the East Indies.  The average size is 8 to 10 feet, but the  python can grow to twice that size.  It is tan in color with irregularly shaped blotches on its back and sides.   
                           So how did this unwelcome and unlikeable reptile make it to the Florida Everglades from thousands of miles away?  Experts opine that there are tens of thousands, maybe more, of these critters residing in the marshy reeds, gobbling any bird, fish, rabbit or squirrel in sight, not to mention the eggs of our native creatures. Their new home in the Everglades dates back to the early 1980s ,when they were first seen and identified.
                            It is believed that the genesis of this snake in Florida came from owners who became disenchanted with their exotic pets, maybe because they got too big or ate too much,  and discarded them in the "the wild" --that being the beautiful Florida Everglades. The Burmese population took hold, and now 35 years later, thanks to the serpentine version of the birds and the bees, there is a daunting overpopulation problem. Lady pythons lay hundreds of eggs at a time and too many survive other predators, and grow.  Adult Burmese pythons here have no natural predators, experts tell us.  Even alligators do not always fare well in one on one combat. These pythons can attain lengths of 20 feet or more and weigh 200 pounds.  
                             Bergeron told the attendees that the fight against invasive snakes and other exotic non-native plants and critters shall continue unabated. Too much is at stake here, he said. Captured snakes are euthanized and examined by herpetologists and other experts in that field in an effort to locate nesting spots and movements based upon weather conditions and stomach contents.                           We do know that the cooler weather, as in the past few weeks, was helpful to the Challenge, since snakes are more likely to slither out of their homes below the ground and come to the surface and bask sleepily in the warm sun.
                               Concern over the natural beauty of the Everglades is widespread.  One Chicago snake aficionado, John Siewers, long recognized for his knowledge of large snakes and their habitats, commends the Florida authorities for their continued programs to preserve the Everglades and to drive away invasive elements and critters such as the Burmese python.
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