Pythons powered down
The snakes have been officially counted and we have a winner for the 2024 Florida Python Challenge. This year’s Ultimate Grand Prize winner is Ronald Kiger. He won $10,000 for top honors, removing 20 Burmese pythons − the invasive snake damaging the ecosystem mostly in the Everglades. In the novice class, Donna Kalil won $2,500 for capturing 19 pythons. “There were over 700 competitors from Florida and over 100 from out of state, including two from Canada, who participated in this year’s Florida Python Challenge,” said Roger Young, FWC Executive Director. “Thanks to Governor DeSantis and our many partners who support the Florida Python Challenge each year to bring awareness to removing invasive Burmese pythons from Florida’s environment.”
The Florida Python Challenge is a 10-day competition created by Florida Wildlife to encourage the removal of pythons from seven commission-managed lands in South Florida. The Burmese python is a large, nonvenomous constrictor snake that is an invasive species in Florida. Burmese pythons were introduced to Florida via the pet trade and are now well established in the Everglades, where the snake represents a threat to the ecosystem. FWC officials claim the intent of the challenge is to not only remove the predators but also to spread awareness of the dangers they pose. The competition also seeks to protect the Everglades habitat and all its native animals by removing the invasive Burmese pythons. A female python can lay about 50 to 100 eggs at a time, which is why the competition is held during hatching season in August. According to the wildlife agency, about 22,000 pythons have been removed from the state since 2000.
The FWC Burmese pythons are native to India, lower China, the Malay Peninsula and a few islands of the East Indies. These large snakes are predators of several mammals, birds, and reptiles. The pythons can consume meals equivalent to 100% their body mass. Burmese pythons have few predators because of how large they are. Because of this, the pythons are able to prey on smaller native Florida species with virtually no threat. Pythons have already eaten most of the small animals that used to live in the Everglades. Even the Florida black Panther has migrated north as result of the snakes. Burmese pythons also pose a threat to human and pet safety. These snakes can prey on pets like cats and dogs.
Slithering sillies:
Did you know they changed the word “snake” to “essential”
And people started buying the oils again.
What’s worse than a box full of snakes?
A box that was SUPPOSED to be full of snakes.
How do you get a snake into Hogwarts?
You tell it to slither in.
“Snakes are the fastest growing animals,” said a boy to his father.
The father: “How do you know that?”
The son: “My brother killed a 40-inch-long snake, and every time he tells the story
the snake gets 10 inches longer.”
September 18th Birthdays
1971 – Aisha Tyler, 1971 – Jade Pinkett Smith, 1970 – Jennifer Tisdale, 1964 – Holly Robinson Peete
1976 – Jason Sudelkis, 1953 – Ben Carson, 1974 – James Marsden, 1940 – Frankie Avalon