Everglades Burmese Python Project

 

 Dr. Michael Dorcas and the Davidson College Herpetology laboratory are assisting the National Park Service, Dr. Frank Mazzotti, and his laboratory in their studies of Burmese Pythons in Everglades National Park and surrounding areas. Burmese Pythons (Python molurus bivittatus) are large, constricting snakes, native to southeastern Asia, that are one of the most popular snakes in the pet trade. Unfortunately, most pet owners do not realize that their 3 foot, hatchling python may grow to be longer than 15 feet. At this point, owners are frequently unable to care for such a large snake and release them. Researchers believe this is the initial reason for the population of Burmese Pythons in the Everglades; however, over time these captive snakes have bred in the Park and now there appears to be a well-established population. These snakes thrive in the Everglades because they are habitat generalists and the park has an abundance of prey available to them (nearly any animal that exists in the Everglades). These snakes have the ability to consume large animals and potentially pose a threat to threatened and endangered populations of Florida Panthers and Wood Storks among others in the Everglades. Thus, researchers are studying these animals to discover the best ways to eradicate or control the Burmese Python population. Researchers are conducting road surveys to capture snakes and are radio-tracking pythons in the area. Their goal is to determine how Burmese Pythons are using the habitat available to them in Everglades National Park and document the impact the snakes are having on native animal populations. We have been assisting with this project by conducting surgeries to implant transmitters and temperature dataloggers, aiding data collection along roads, and assisting with GIS analysis.  
Learn more about the Burmese Python Invasion:

MSNBC - Florida's high-tech attack on unwanted snakes

USA Today - Python-Gator Battle Highlights Problem in Everglades

CNN.com - Predators in Paradise

NationalGeographic.com - Huge Freed Pet Pythons Invade Florida Everglades

Davidson College - Biologist's Surgical Skill Employed to Help Track Unwanted Pythons

CollegeNews.org - Davidson Biologist Tracking Pythons in Florida Everglades

Surgeries

Watch short video of a Burmese Python Surgery

Holding down a python for anesthetization.

Davidson College student Shannon Pittman checking the endotrachial tube and monitoring anesthetization.

Inserting radio-transmitter.

Stitching the small incision for radio-transmitter and temperature data-logger insertion.

Temperature Data for Burmese Pythons
Example of temperatures experienced by one Burmese Python in December, 2005.

Snake model to determine the temperature of Burmese Pythons in the open.

Location where we are determining the temperatures experienced by a Burmese Python in the water.

Example of Movements by Burmese Pythons

Movements by a radio-tracked Burmese Python.

95% and 50% Kernel home range of a radtiotracked Burmese Python.

Davidson College Herpetology Laboratory

Questions? Contact Dr. Michael Dorcas.