Hybrid python threat has spread beyond Florida Everglades, DNA study shows
EVERGLADES (FOX NEWS) - With no natural predators in the Sunshine State, pythons native to Southeast Asia have taken over the Florida Everglades.
The slithering creatures killed off a large swath of native habitat when they became king of the Everglades, wreaking havoc on the system’s sensitive ecosystem.
But now experts say the python problem has slithered beyond the swamp and could impact ecosystems all across Florida. It’s unclear how far north the reptiles can go – the only conditions they seem to be susceptible to are colder climates – but experts worry they could easily adapt and invade other parts of the state.
“We set out to investigate the Burmese python in the Everglades to help provide information for management and conservation agencies…we found 13 of the 400 snakes that we analyzed had portions of Indian python within their genome,” said Margaret Hunter, a USGS geneticist and the lead author of a study by the U.S. Geological Survey (USGS) in the journal Ecology and Evolution, which concluded the snakes will become a growing problem in the U.S.
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