Scientists hypothesize that the Burmese python (Python bivittatus) slithered into Florida sometime in the 1970s, most likely as a result of the then-burgeoning exotic pet trade. The unwelcome legless and carnivorous creature, known for rapid reproduction, quickly became a major menace to the bio region. Ian Bartoszek, wildlife biologist and environmental science project manager for the Conservancy of Southwest Florida, declares the invasive species “the wildlife impact issue of our time.”
Although the Burmese python is a “beautiful and amazing creature,” he quickly emphasizes “they wreak havoc in the local environment by depleting the surrounding native wildlife.” Bartoszek points out that hatchling pythons were first spotted on a roadside in Collier County in 2009 by a scientist who was specifically looking for them.
In 2013, the Conservancy established a python…
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Naples Illustrated (Digital) - 1 Issue, October 2022