Alarming footage of the necropsy of a giant Burmese python in Florida has resurfaced on Reddit, raising awareness of the state’s massive invasive species problem.
What’s going on?
“Florida is the Australia of the United States” is a proverb loose on the internet, one that alludes to their shared propensity to put the “wild” in “wild life.”
On the r/InterestingAsF*** subreddit, a user shared a video showing the necropsy, or animal autopsy, of an 18-foot python that had been euthanized by workers in Everglades National Park, as required by law. The clip was originally shared on Instagram by geoscientist Rosie Moore (@rosiekmoore), who was present at the necropsy.
When the researchers started digging, they discovered a fully intact, undigested 5-foot alligator.
Although the video was disturbing without context, it also quietly served as an object lesson.
Alligators are native to Florida, but Burmese pythons are not, and beneath its shock value, the video told a detailed story about the dangers of invasive species.
Why is this incident concerning?
Alligator attacks are not uncommon, and native Floridians know to keep an eye out for lurking gators.
It may be easy to conflate native predators with invasive species, but the latter are an entirely different problem.
Like many invasive species, Burmese pythons were introduced to Florida through the exotic pet trade, with the first recorded sightings in 1979.
“It is one anniversary that we prefer not to celebrate,” said the National Park Service on the 40th anniversary of the sighting. The US Geological Survey took a similar view, adding that invasive species such as Burmese pythons have caused more than $1.21 trillion in damage since 1960.
In 2012, the USGS reported a massive decline in mammal populations in Florida due to Burmese pythons, meaning that, in addition to decimating prey, the snakes are competing with native predators such as alligators for food.
Native species displaced by invasives can exhibit unusual and dangerous behaviors, such as invading human habitats in search of food and endangering people.
The USGS noted that Burmese pythons are exceptionally “well adapted” to the Everglades, thriving in its climate and blending in so carefully that they can be difficult to spot.
A Reddit user in Florida lamented the spread of this invasive snake: “They are invasive and kill native species at alarming rates. We have python hunts every year … to try to control their numbers. … They are starting to populate areas outside the Everglades as well. Definitely not what we want.”
What is being done about it?
As the Redditor noted, the annual organized python hunt incentivizes locals to help eradicate the species.
“The single most effective way to not have invasive species in Florida is to prevent them from getting here in the first place,” the NPS emphasized, reminding people to stay aware of major climate issues like invasive species.
Bryan Falk, supervisory biologist of invasive species in the Everglades National Park, encouraged people to report invasive plants and animals and emphasized the importance of early detection.
“Reports from the public are incredibly important because they help us make management decisions,” Falk explained.
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