Exotic and Invasive Species

By: Jonathan Mejia

• Burmese Python orginated in Southeast Asia

• They live in aquatic and semi aquatic biomes.

• Burmese Pythons are dark-colored snakes The perceived attractiveness of their skin pattern contributes to their popularity with both reptile keepers and the leather industry.

• They are capable of reaching 23 feet or more in length and weighing up to 200 pounds.

• Burmese pythons are carnivores, surviving mainly on small mammals and birds but they will eat practically anything.

• They have poor eyesight.

• They stalk prey using chemical receptors in their tongues and heat-sensors along the jaws.

• They kill with contrisiction.

BURMESE PYTHON

• Burmese live in biomes which were duplicated here in the U.S. in Florida, mainly in the Everglades.

• This environment has all their living conditions for them to flourish.

• This happens because many owners can’t take care of these animals any more, so they are released into the wild where the have flourished.

• These pythons are now the top predator of Florida.

• They even prey on deer, alligators, and humans.

• They have interrupted the food chain which makes other species become endangered.

Why are they an invasive species?

• Park Rangers and other wildlife districts have bee trying to remove them by hand from the everglades and Florida.

• Not so many have been caught due to their high reproductively rate.

• But that is the only thing they have done.

• This is a female albino Burmese Python with her eggs.

What has been done

PICTURES