Non-Native Snakes in U.S. Threaten Ecosystems and Other Species

Five giant invasive snake species threaten the health of native ecosystems in Florida and parts of the southern U.S. because the reptiles could decimate indigenous species of animals and birds, according to a report by the U.S. Geological Survey (USGS). Robert Reed, a USGS invasive species scientist who co-authored the report, said that Burmese pythons, northern and southern African pythons, boa constrictors, and anacondas — some of which grow more than 20 feet long and weigh 200 pounds — “threaten to destabilize some of our most precious ecosystems and parks, primarily through predation on vulnerable native species.” Several of the species — generally bought as pets and then released when they became too large — breed in south Florida, including the Burmese python, whose numbers in the state are estimated in the tens of thousands. The USGS report said that the snakes thrive in rural and suburban areas and could pose a threat to humans. The report cited as a cautionary tale the Pacific island of Guam, where the invasive brown treesnake has wiped out 10 of Guam’s 12 native bird species.