Burmese pythons establishised in South Florida and expanding range rapidly

[Cyclimus]

You could always load shot shells into your .357. Not sure how great they'd be against something that large but at close range it might be enough of a deterrent.

 

[RLsnow]

think the average human jaw muscles (if thats what theyre called) can generate around 90kilograms of pressure (between the theeth) so yes...if you just s*it your pants because the big snake got a hold of you, and your so pumped on adrenaline and fear (dont underestimate the fear ) im sure you could hurt it...

rather cut it up with a knife thugh Oo

 

[SaxonPig]

I can't imagine a 20 foot python eating anything over maybe 15-20 pounds in size. I had a Burmese python as a pet and at 18 feet it struggled to swallow a 6 pound rabbit. In the wild they eat rats and other small mammals.

A snake won't attack what it can't eat. I was bitten once and it was about like being bitten by a housecat. As for it's great strngth I had no trouble wrestling mine into doing what I pleased. It was not stronger than me. A python would pose no danger to humans except maybe a very small child. These cases of snake owners being killed by their pets always seem to involve the person being drunk or a kid wrapping the snake around his neck and then suddenly being in trouble when the animal constricts. In the wild the biggest pyton would try to get away from a human.

As an introduced species they may prove harmful to the local environment but I doubt they pose any real threat to human life.

Small dogs and cats may start to disappear from yards...

 

[Wes Janson]

Skinner: Well, I was wrong. The lizards are a godsend.
Lisa: But isn't that a bit short-sighted? What happens when we're
overrun by lizards?
Skinner: No problem. We simply release wave after wave of Chinese
needle snakes. They'll wipe out the lizards.
Lisa: But aren't the snakes even worse?
Skinner: Yes, but we're prepared for that. We've lined up a fabulous
type of gorilla that thrives on snake meat.
Lisa: But then we're stuck with gorillas!
Skinner: No, that's the beautiful part. When wintertime rolls around,
the gorillas simply freeze to death.

 

[Sav .250]

Chester 32141:
That`s another reason I quit wading. Nothing like wading hip deep and seeing a gator pop up and give you the fish-eye. I`m sure you`ve seen your share of gators but they sure look mighty big at almost eye level! LOL.

 

[Sav .250]

Proud2deviate:
I`m sure that would do the job. If not, next thing you know....your inside
looking out.

 

[bluestarlizzard]

last time my mom went to florida she took a canoe out by herself and got a little to close to an alligator. she also had a close call on horseback. i'm informing her to NEVER go out solo again if she's in the everglades again. darn snakes.

 

[WoofersInc]

Burmese Pythons really are not that dangerous for humans. The chances for one growing to 20 feet in the wild are not that great. They are not the fastest snakes out there so they would probably become prey for something else as they got bigger and slower. I have owned several of them. Suprisingly the alcohol in the face trick does work. Burmese have short sharp teeth that are curved to the rear. They act as hooks. Most damage from their bites is from peope who pull back as the snake strikes resulting in tearing of skin at the bite site. My largest Burmese was 15 feet and his prefered food was rabbit. He would also eat chickens. Burmese will not go out of their way to attack. The will strike at a human in defense if threatened. Leave them alone and they won't bother you. I would be more concerned about some of the native venomous species than I would a Burmese.
If neccessary to kill one, go for the head. Buckshot would work and or a machette.

 

[ARKIESTEEL]

If these pythons are doing well down there would other more nasty snakes make it like cobras and the like do well also? If so I made my last trip to FLA

I am bad spooked of snakes

 

[unspellable]

Pythons

AS some one who has beeni nvolved with pythons and boas for years I can tell you that 90% of what you hear is baloney. While a REALLY big snake deserves respect, it's no great danger except in rare circumstances. When there is a fatality it gets a lot of play just because it is so rare and unusual.

1. They are NOT moving to Deleware or California. They cannot tolerate freezing conditions, and even extended periods of very cool weather may do them in as digestion stops and food in the digestive tract may go putrid.

2. If they feel threatened, their first thought will be retreat, but if they think that's not an option, they may bite, like any other animal. I've never heard of one constricting while in defensive mode.

3. An adult human standing upright appears to be much too large for the python to think of it as a food item.

4. If attempting to remove a snake in constricting mode, go for the tail. The teeth are at the other end and the snake, being accustomed to often not being able to see its tail, tends to be quite goosey.

5. The Burmese is not particularly aggresive towards humans. The reticulated python has more of a reputation for being aggressive.

6. Quickest way to kill one at very close range would be a 12 gauge load of birdshot to the head. The brain case is not very thick and bird shot will
easily penetrate at close range.

I have a suspician that this whole thing is overblown. Assuming they become established in south Florida, they will be just one more predator. They do not eat much as an individual and they will not become all that numerous. Like other wild life in the boonies, there will be more hoopla over attacking humans tha nwil lactually happen. If the you establish large numbers, it won't be all bad, the hide is quite valuable in the exotic leather trade. They will have to be protected like alligators.

And last but not least:

A python I should not advise,
It needs a doctor for its eyes,
And has the measles yearly.
However, if you feel inclined
To get one (to improve your mind,
And not from fashion merely),
Allow no music near its cage;
And when it flies into a rage
Chastise it most severely.
I had an Aunt in Yucatan
Who bought a Python from a man
And kept it for a pet.
She died because she never knew
These simple little rules and few;--
The snake is living yet.

Hilaire Belloc

 

[RebelKangaroo]

Don't the rangers or whatever that patrol the everglades shoot these things regularly since they're a non-native species?

And saying that a huge snake isn't dangerous to humans is too much of a blanket statement. Just because they can't swallow you doesn't mean they can't kill you or cause a lot of injury. I agree that not all of them would be a danger, but I wouldn't want to get close enough to test the theory either.

 

[unspellable]

dangers

Cougars, alligators, crocodiles, bears, deer, hogs, etc., have all been known to kill a human. But it makes news because it's rare, not because it's common. Such animals should be treated with respect because they do have the capability, but one should not lay awake nights worrying about it or be afraid to go out in the woods. Just don't do stupid things like poking them with a stick. I've encountered big cats, big snakes, big gators, etc. in the wild and none of them ever gave me any trouble. None of these animals go around looking for a human to attack and will generally avoid human contact.

People over estimate the size of snakes in many ways. A well fed 16 foot Burmese might weigh 145 lbs, that's well shy of a large man and he's not going to be interested in eating any adult human nor any child who is standing upright. Snakes can eat large meals, but they don't eat a meal THAT large. The snake in the picture above obviously had more appetite than brains. Most of his cousins are smarter than that.

If I were to carry a self defense arm out in the boonies, it would be for the two legged critters.

 

[unspellable]

BTW: Having worked with pythons I have deveolped the perfect cure for python bite. One washes the affected part in running water and then takes copious quantities of a good quality rum internally. The only problem is getting the damn snake to bite.

 

[Cougfan2]

Some studies say that Pythons are already starting to be the dominant predator in the Everglades and are competing with Alligators for the available prey species. When my Dad was in New Guinea in WWII they lost a guy on night watch when a Python dropped out of a tree and crushed him.

 

[EShell]

Finally, in addition to good comments by BigBadJohn (I too had a large Burmese pet, a spray mister with Jack Daniels in it and used it one time, and that was only because he thought I was handing him another pigeon - I wasn't), Patrick_Henry and SaxonPig, we have a clear, calm voice of logic by Unspellable:

Pythons
AS some one who has beeni nvolved with pythons and boas for years I can tell you that 90% of what you hear is baloney. While a REALLY big snake deserves respect, it's no great danger except in rare circumstances. When there is a fatality it gets a lot of play just because it is so rare and unusual.

Yup, nothing like sensationalism to sell soap. Be it snakes or guns. . .

1. They are NOT moving to Deleware or California. They cannot tolerate freezing conditions, and even extended periods of very cool weather may do them in as digestion stops and food in the digestive tract may go putrid.

Agreed, basically a tropical problem.

2. If they feel threatened, their first thought will be retreat, but if they think that's not an option, they may bite, like any other animal. I've never heard of one constricting while in defensive mode.

True, the biggest hazard (to an adult) is being mistaken for edible. Of course, you'll always have the "Hold my beer and watch this" factor, but that's just natural selection in progress.

3. An adult human standing upright appears to be much too large for the python to think of it as a food item.

Agreed.

4. If attempting to remove a snake in constricting mode, go for the tail. The teeth are at the other end and the snake, being accustomed to often not being able to see its tail, tends to be quite goosey.

Never thought about it, but yes, that is true.

5. The Burmese is not particularly aggresive towards humans. The reticulated python has more of a reputation for being aggressive.

Yes, compared to docile Burmese pythons, Retics are just plain mean.

6. Quickest way to kill one at very close range would be a 12 gauge load of birdshot to the head. The brain case is not very thick and bird shot will easily penetrate at close range.

Snakes are actually pretty fragile when their vulnerabilities are exploited, and don't like pain anymore than anyone else. A knife or .22 would be plenty if placement is good, but there is a huge amount of non-vital area on a snake. The biggest problem will be accessing a weapon of any kind, if you even have one with you.

I have a suspician that this whole thing is overblown. Assuming they become established in south Florida, they will be just one more predator. They do not eat much as an individual and they will not become all that numerous. Like other wild life in the boonies, there will be more hoopla over attacking humans tha nwil lactually happen. If the you establish large numbers, it won't be all bad, the hide is quite valuable in the exotic leather trade. They will have to be protected like alligators.

Mostly agreed, especially to the "overblown" part, but there is some potential damage to the general ecosystem, particularly to the small deer and other small mammals that would be the primary target of a hungry python. The Everglades environment is taking a beating from many quarters, be it from pollution, overuse, development or introduced species of many types.

 

[achildofthesky]

I wouldn't worry about them...

And if you must pretty much and cal handgun would be plenty. Pythons are quite slow movers...


My .04...

Patty

 

[Snake Eyes]

The only problem is getting the damn snake to bite.

Never mind that--Here's to preventative medicine!

 

[fireflyfather]

I've owned Burmese also, and I have to say that there is a WORLD of difference between a red-tailed boa and a large python. Also a world of difference between a well-raised and cared for snake and a poorly-raised one abandoned in the wild and starving. Granted reticulated pythons are much more irritable, a poorly-cared for (ornery) Burmese is nothing to sneer at. They also tend to be quite unpredictable. Especially for pet-raised, then released animals, they are not going to be very well fed in the wild, and they MAY associate the smell of you with food (if bad feeding practices were used). They are NOT going to try and eat you if they get a good look at you, obviously, but if you step under a low branch at night, remember, they hunt by smell and heat primarily, not eyesight. Mine mistook me for a mouse a couple of times. At the 6 feet it was at the time, was about like getting two flu shots in my hand. Not a big deal. An 18 foot snake would have much larger teeth.

One interesting thing is that their eyes are very vulnerable. Sometimes pet owners drop live mice into the cage (bad practice, but some do it), and the snake gets its eyes scratched out. Wouldn't really count on that as a defensive technique, but interesting nonetheless.

Anyway, bottom line, aim for the head, or cut it off you if need be. Alcohol and cold water may help, but how likely are you to have a big jug of hard liquor or ice water in your hand and ready to pour while walking under a low branch in the everglades?

 

[OregonJohnny]

Some have already touched on this, but I'll try and state it clearly: A 20-foot python CANNOT consume a full-grown adult human. No snake can. The largest snake on Earth, the anaconda, cannot even consume a full-grown adult human. When the anaconda's jaws open completely (they technically don't unhinge but stay connected by ligaments) to begin eating a victim, it must be able to fit the jaws around the widest part of the prey. It has been shown that the widest part of an adult human (the shoulders) cannot fit inside an anaconda's jaws. Can a constrictor kill a full-size adult human? Yes. Eat? No.

Constrictors are more dangerous in suburbia, where a pet snake can get loose inside a home and kill a drunk, sleeping, or otherwise weakened or unconscious person. But they won't attempt to eat the person (unless it's a small child). Snakes in the wild tend to avoid large animals such as adult humans that they don't see as "edible".

To the other question at hand - I would use a shotgun loaded with 00 buckshot if possible, or a .38 caliber or larger handgun loaded with hollow points. However, shooting a constrictor in the head as it is firmly attached to your leg is a dangerous tactic, and if the snake is already on you, a knife would probably be more effective.

 

[sonyhoppes]

I once saw a huge python at the L.A. Zoo swallow a whole calf!

 

[rcmodel]

I think I'd lay off the big Magnum pistols and shotguns for SD if it were me.
Long range pest control is one thing, but fighting one off after you are attacked is another can of worms. (or giant snakes!)

If he's got you or your buddy wrapped up, and you shoot, the bullets gonna do as much damage to you as the snake.

I'd probably vote for a sharp knife, and hope I had time to start whacking before I got the stuffing squeezed out of me.

rcmodel

 

[ceetee]

Family dog swallowed whole by 16-foot python

Speaking of the devil...

South Florida Sun-Sentinel
9:25 AM EST, February 27, 2008


BRISBANE, Australia - A 16-foot python stalked a family dog for days before swallowing the pet whole in front of horrified children in the Australian tropics, animal experts said Wednesday.

The boy and girl, ages 5 and 7, watched as the scrub python devoured their silky terrier-Chihuahua crossbreed Monday at their home near Kuranda in Queensland state.

Stuart Douglas, owner of the Australian Venom Zoo in Kuranda, said scrub pythons typically eat wild animals such as wallabies, a smaller relative of the kangaroo, but sometimes turn to pets in urban areas.

"It actively stalked the dog for a number of days," Douglas said.

"The family that owned the dog had actually seen it in the dog's bed, which was a sign it was out to get it," he added.

"They should have called me then, but (the snake) got away and three or four days later, I was called and went around and removed it" after the dog had been killed, Douglas said.

By the time Douglas arrived, all that could be seen of the dog was its hind legs and tail.

The zoo manager, Todd Rose, said pythons squeeze their prey to death before swallowing it whole. The 5-year-old dog would have been suffocated within minutes.

"The lady who was there threw some plastic chairs at the snake, but you've got to remember that this is about 50 kilograms (110 pounds) of aggressive muscle," Rose said.

Removing the half-swallowed dog could have harmed or even killed the python, Rose said, because dogs have sharp teeth and claws that could do the snake internal damage if it were wrenched out.

The snake was still digesting the dog at the zoo Wednesday. It will soon be relocated to the bush, Douglas said.

 

[MechAg94]

Have they tried simply putting a bounty on the snakes? I would think that would get a lot of hunters and guides looking for them.

My thoughts are 1) carry a knife, and 2) travel in pairs. If your buddy gets attacked by a big aligator, you would have a hard time beating off the aligator much less killing it. If he gets attacked by a python, I would think you could do something about it pretty quick.

Also, in my experience with other smaller snakes, snakes are pretty hard to kill. They can take a lot of wounding and still be moving around and kicking. Severing the head was what we always did. Of course, those were mostly poisonous snakes we were worried about. A wounded snake can still bite.

 

[mio]

i wouldnt trust a snake that sees a 6 foot aligator as food not to see me as the same

 

[Stump Water]

My python boot is too tight!....

W.E.G... you owe me a keyboard.