Overrun with snakes, Florida looks to bounty hunters
Florida considers bounty hunters to deal with pythons, which threaten people and endangered native species.
By Patrik Jonsson | Staff writer/ July 9, 2009 edition
Atlanta
Unrolling the skin of a 17-foot Burmese python at a congressional hearing Wednesday, Sen. Bill Nelson (D) of Florida focused America’s attention on the biggest invader on the continent, saying it’s only a matter of time until one of the 150,000 suspected pythons in south Florida nabs a tourist.
But of all the ideas floated to get a grip on pythons and other exotic imports creeping and crawling through America’s undergrowth, only one stands out to Florida snake experts as having a real impact: bounty hunters.
“Right now, the alligators are losing battles with exotic pythons, but python skins and meat aren’t worth anything. You’ve got to give incentives for guys to go hunt them. That’s what it’s going to take,” says Patrick Barry, owner of Wildlife Removal Services in Fort Lauderdale, Fla.
Two weeks before a toddler was killed in Florida on July 1 – the 12th known python casualty in US history – Mr. Barry was called to a scene where a nine-foot-long pet python had been on its way into a kiddie pool occupied by two toddlers before the parents spotted it.
“I don’t know if the snake escaped or some guy let it loose,” says Barry.
Among a variety of proposed measures, Congress is looking to create one port of entry for exotics, but it’s not clear if that will have a measurable impact on the trade. Pet smuggling, after all, is second only to drug smuggling in the international black market.
Senator Nelson’s bill seeks to tackle the import and export of pet snakes, some of which make their way into the wild either through escape or release by their owners. The legislation would classify pythons as an injurious animal and would prohibit the transport of snakes between states. The law, Nelson hopes, would lead to the end of Americans keeping pythons as pets.
Pet sellers stand opposed to Nelson’s plan, saying it will kill the exotic pet industry. It’s a powerful lobby: An estimated 100 million Americans own some kind of exotic pet, and critics worry a ban would drive more of the trade underground.
Burmese pythons took hold in the Everglades in the early 1990s and now range as far as Tallahassee, Fla. More than people, they threaten a native and endangered animal, the Key Largo wood rat.
Even without bounties, some python hunters are crashing into the Florida wilds to chase pythons, often posting photographs of their conquests on the Web. The snakes are notoriously difficult to catch, however, and the US Park Service is experimenting with different traps. Most of the snakes, in fact, are killed on roadways – called the “rapid-acceleration removal method” by some biologists.
Florida Gov. Charlie Crist has floated the idea of a bounty hunt, and it’s gaining favor in the state. The US Park Service would have to waive regulations against hunting in the Everglades. But given the threat, the feds are considering the idea.
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Comments
2. DERFherder | 07.09.09
I think it’s a wonderful idea. My parents took me on vacations to Florida, 20 years ago when I was a small child. I loved it. Also, I’ve always been fascinated by the Everglades. I’d love to go on a two or three week Florida vacation to hunt Burmese pythons. In fact, some of my male friends might like the idea as well. We could all go on a legal hunting safari, in Florida. We’d need guides and outfitters. Talk about an income-generator for the state.
3. ronlaw | 07.09.09
Florida should hold an annual “Whacking Day”!! That’ll show those snakes who’s boss.
4. owlafaye | 07.09.09
Pythons are only the tip of the iceberg. Poisonous snakes that are not indigenous to America have made progress also. The South is becoming a hotbed for poisonous snakes.
5. Mary | 07.09.09
Bounty Hunters sound like a great idea. I can’t think of anything more disgusting than loose pythons - killer snakes. Imagine a child of your own being squeezed to death with its head in a python’s mouth. Start and don’t stop until they are all gone!!
6. NJS | 07.09.09
“An estimated 100 million Americans own some kind of exotic pet”.
That number makes no sense. The entire population of this country is just over 300 million.
7. Jan | 07.10.09
Hey, pythons are nothing! There’s a species that has overrun Florida, already drove out or ate most native large animals. They’re voracious, change their environment to please themselves, put their waste anywhere they like, hunt for pleasure, and kill a great deal more people than pythons. And they keep exotic pets….
By the way, you could count the fire ant as a pet, because the same species brought this nice little animal to Florida as well. And for plants: kudzu is a nice addition as well.
9. Bea McGee | 07.10.09
Somehow we need to cease regarding exotic pets as a status symbol. Until we do, the pet trade will flourish and
we will continue to struggle with escaped animals and to diminish the numbers of threatened species, such as
the parrots.
10. M | 07.10.09
It would be nice to see a total ban on the import of exoctic pets, but that’s probably not realistic. I like the idea of tracking collars on these pets, something akin to what Canada geese typically have. When a pet exotic pet is found on the loose a massive fine can be levied. This will help pay for the cost of erradication projects in natural areas.
11. Miguel | 07.10.09
As a south Floridian and as a wildlife biologist I have a few comments to add.
(1) Despite the recent interest in the python invasion there is little research funding to study this problem or do anything about it. I’m currently waiting to find out if I will receive funding to develop a computer simulation to estimate the impact of pythons on Everglades’ fauna and to determine the best python control measures. If I’m awarded the funding, at best, I will receive a modest salary for a single year to accomplish this. (Starting salary for a wildlife biologist with a PhD is about the same as a waitress in NY City)
(2) It appears that much of the increasing interest in the Python invasion is disproportionally driven by a dislike of snakes than a genuine concern for the Everglades or the environment. It would also be great if news stories also stated that this is one of the many serious threats facing the Everglades.
(3) Regardless of how popular exotic pets are, and I own several, the inevitable release and introduction of non-native animals is more than a nuisance but a serious threat to many species some of which will be driven to extinction. The exotic pet trade needs to be more heavily regulated and laws need to be enforced.
12. Michael | 07.10.09
12th such a case in US history, all while thousands of these “killers” are at large. Isn’t it a bit too much to elicit such an outcry for the extermination?
13. Annelies | 07.10.09
@NJS: I think you’re right — according to the “Manual of exotic pet practice,” by Mark A. Mitchell and Thomas N. Tully (2008), surveys in 2001-2002 showed 49.2 million fish, 10 million birds, 4.8 million rabbits, 2.9 million reptiles (although there are estimates of up to 9 million), approximately 2.6 million rodents, about a million ferrets (although this number also may be understating), and an uncounted number of amphibians.
So it’s not out of the question that there could be 100 million exotic pets in 2009 — but not exotic pet *owners*.
14. Patrik Jonsson | 07.10.09
NJS: Good question on the ‘100 million Americans’ owning an exotic pet line. The problem is that definitions for ‘exotics’ varies from anything that’s not a dog, cat, fish or farm animal to anything that’s not native to the surrounding environment. The 100 million figure came from congressional testimony (and was also included in a recent New Yorker article, whose fact-checkers are world-renowned) and refers more to the latter definition, which would then make most aquarium fish, etc., come under the definition of exotic. That’s important to the current debate because much of the recent proposed legislation around exotics uses the broader ‘non-native’ definition. Hope that’s helpful.
17. editorial | 07.12.09
Hi Phil,
See comment 14 from the writer. It explains how the number was obtained.
18. Paul | 07.12.09
To take a break from the usual Coyote Hunts…. Hunting snakes in the Everglades….. **** I ‘m in!
19. Roxy | 07.15.09
I think the idea of a python bounty hunt is an okay solution, but it only clears part of the problem. Unless something is done, people will continue to keep pythons as pets and release them or unknowingly let them escape.
20. NATHAN | 07.16.09
It continues to amaze me how so many uneducated narrow minded people there are in the world. People with no appreciation for anything beyond their laptop or cell phone. The same kind of people who kill black snakes in their yards and then wonder why they have so many rats. Snakes play a vital role in our natural world and I’m sure if they had their way there would be a bounty on us. While I completely agree that these snakes should be removed from the wild for a number of reasons the least of which is threat to human life. More people are killed by dogs, are we going to stop owning them too, and how many dog species are imported. People should have the right to own the pet they want to own within the law. But along with that right comes the responsibility that we must assume to avoid the kind of problems we have in South Florida. The majority should not be punished for the ignorance of the few. Hey I have an idea lets ban all imported automobiles because someone got killed by BMW. Hope none of you own foreign cars. Engage your brains before you start typing.
21. chris | 07.16.09
There whole thing with the bounty looks like they think that hunters wont find value in hunting them since the market for snake meat and skins is small.. so instead of a bounty put the money into marketing ploys to promote the sale of the meat have contests ect for best python soup nothing wrong with hunting a non-native species..
as far as ban on owning and fines to owners i agree with nathan .. a whole 12 deaths on record.. how many kids get killed by dogs each yr.. you could blame that on the parents too. no loose pythons around here but i still watch what my kids are doing at all times..
guess it works like all the idiots that walk into a fenced in yard and have a dog tear them up.. lets blame it on the mean dog instead of the moron that should of been aware of their surroundings
22. froggy | 07.17.09
Owning exotic pets is just saying ‘Look at me!’
A bid for attention. Immature airheads.
That is human nature. And that will never change.
Deal with it.
23. Rich Norman | 07.19.09
I am a native Floridian. It would be a bad thing for tourism, and the people of the state to have these snakes by the hundreds of thousands. I used to wander all over the state for fun. Exploring the wilds of Florida is a lot of fun. I have nothing against pet owners or anything. I just think the size and numbers of these snakes need to be dealt with. Forget bounty hunting. Just open up hunting for them as a nuiscence animal. Hunters would love to be able to go out during times of the year that other species aren’t available. It would open up a whole new sport. Not saying obliterate the species, just take control of it if that makes people feel better.
24. Python Dundee | 07.21.09
What a lot of kerfuffle over a harmless snake. When living on a farm in Australia we kept a 15 foot python in the barn to keep down the rats and field mice. No need to keep a python in a box. When a python is happy it stays where it knows it will get a regular feed. Ours was such an efficient ratter that we had to supplement his diet with an occasional chook. If he ran out of rats and mice he let you know by slithering down from the rafters when he saw you coming, expecting his chook. Never bothered the rest of the farm animals at all. Stick one in the everglades without a human friend to depend on for his dinner, and of course he’ll eat the alligators. However ours didn’t like the cold weather much and would come into the house at night through the doggy-door & curl up in front of the heater, but would go back outside to the barn in the daytime when it warmed up a bit. Had to shut the bedroom door at night when the heater went off though or he would get in the bed with you to get the warmth of the electric blanket.
25. chris | 07.26.09
well the thing is yes its basically a harmless snake.. the thing is it is not native. just like the rabbits in aus they caused a lot of problems there. now you get the same problems with alligators in FL. but they are native so its just relocate them, but as far as the banning on sales ect. there is wild dog packs in major cities all over the world, that kill and injure more ppl than pythons because there is also careless dog owners.
26. Allen Boynton | 07.28.09
Bounties are a waste of public funds. It is not in the interests of bounty hunters to kill off the golden goose. The history of bounty systems in many states for many different species is that as the public costs mount, political support withers. Bounties are a feel-good measure most often proposed by those that would benefit, and supported by a political system that wants to demonstrate that it is taking action. Bounties do not work.
27. Thinking | 08.03.09
I would have to agree with an earlier comment about the number of poisonous snakes rivaling the number of pythons in the south. I would hate to have someone watering their lawn and then suddenly find themselves being eye-to-eye with a king cobra for example. Some of these snakes are territorial and make become aggressive if provoked. Restoring the ecological balance of the Everglades is critical and I would hate to have people and endangered species be put at risk. What legislation is being considered to further address this problem?
28. l | 08.04.09
hunting pythons for an exploding population is a great idea, but if anyone can own a python as a pet you know they will eventually be released when they get too big kind of defeats the purpose of hunting something that will just come back again. why not just make them illegal to own.
30. Expat | 08.06.09
Here in Texas we have the rattlesnake round up, we kill off about ten thousand each year and there is plenty for the next year.
31. Katie Frell | 08.06.09
I am a snake owner myself. I can honestly say, that childs death was all the snake OWNERS fault. Snakes will be snakes, as smart human beings, we should know having such a large snake is stupid in the first place. Only burmese, retic, and anacondas get realy huge, Ball Pythons, also known as Royal Pythons, barely get over the tiny size of 5 feet. If thats dangerous, than snakes native to florida as well should be slaughtered, kings and corns get about 5-6 feet. As a large reptile owner, you should know how to safely house and handle such a large mass of teeth and muscle. The snakes are not venomous in the least bit, they are safe, regarding you know how to take care of them.
32. Katie Frell | 08.06.09
as for the wild population, I believe in a more humane action, but then again, how many breeders would want wild snakes? how many zoos would need more than a couple dozen burmese pythons? Slash and hack does seem to be the only option, a task i would only do if there was a reward.
33. William Burrows | 08.10.09
I agree with responsible ownership, I also know that if a parent doesn’t know where their child is, they are not responsible. Exotic Pet (Look at me) give me a break I have guest at my home that never even have knowledge of my snakes.Snake Hunt??????? Make sure to include your happiness of an animals death,in your confessions…More people die from dogs and cats in the USA than the measly 12 confirmed python related deaths in all history…..Microchip all snakes being kept by pet owners, I agree, But lets include All Pets ..The very real and unfortunate death of the little girl in Florida, as in almost all 12 cases of death by pythons, needs blamed placed where it should be: WITH THE OWNERS OF THE SNAKES………LETS START CONVICTING PEOPLE FOR THEIR CRIMES IF IT’S YOUR SNAKE ,DOG ,CAT,ETC ITS THE OWNERS FAULT
34. Accuracy in Reporting | 09.04.09
With fewer than 100 million households as reported by the 2005 census, this ‘news article’ tries to suggest that EVERY SINGLE HOUEHOLD in the US has an ‘exotic’ pet. Not only false, this kind of statement is misleading - who decides what is exotic? Are hampsters? rabbits? birds? As you can see, the total inaccuracy of one statement calls into question the veracity of the whole article - 150,000 pythons in florida? Probably a lie too. Pet smuggling second only to drug smuggling? Certainly also a lie.
This article is riddled with total BS…
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1. Krista Cook | 07.09.09
Well, there is nothing wrong with offering a bounty, provided people don’t start breeding them just so they can collect a bounty by turning them in. If such a law existed breeding more and more could get very profitable. . .