Apex predator at large: Burmese pythons that can devour whole deer and alligators INVADING the Florida Everglades

By zoeysky // 2024-12-28

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Massive invasive Burmese pythons, native to Southeast Asia, have established a stronghold in the Florida Everglades, decimating native wildlife populations. These apex predators can swallow prey six times their size, including deer, foxes, bobcats, raccoons and even alligators, disrupting the delicate ecosystem.
Recent studies reveal pythons are driving native species to extinction, with some consuming migratory birds that travel thousands of miles to the Everglades.
Pythons were introduced to Florida in the 1970s and 1980s as exotic pets, but many were released into the wild as they grew too large for owners to handle. Today, tens of thousands of pythons inhabit the Everglades, with their population growing unchecked.
Conservation groups, like the Conservancy of Southwest Florida, have removed hundreds of pythons and tracked them with radio tags, but these efforts are insufficient to address the scale of the problem.
Urgent measures are needed, including increased python removal efforts, stricter regulations on exotic pet ownership and international collaboration to address the crisis. Failure to act risks mass extinctions and long-term damage to the Everglades, a critical habitat for diverse wildlife and migratory birds.

The Florida Everglades, a vast and unique ecosystem teeming with wildlife, is facing an unprecedented threat from an invasive predator: the Burmese python. These massive snakes, capable of swallowing prey six times their size, have established a stronghold in the Everglades, and their voracious appetites are driving native animal populations to the brink of extinction. Biologists are now sounding the alarm, warning that urgent action is needed to control the python population before it’s too late.

The Burmese python’s deadly appetite

Burmese pythons are no ordinary predators. These snakes, native to Southeast Asia, have adapted remarkably well to the Florida environment, and their hunting capabilities are nothing short of astonishing. A recent study by scientists from the Conservancy of Southwest Florida revealed that a single 115-pound female python is able to consume a 77-pound white-tailed deer — a feat that challenges the limits of what scientists previously thought pythons were capable of. The video footage of the snake’s jaw unhinging to engulf the deer’s entire torso is both mesmerizing and terrifying. But deer are just the beginning. Pythons have been documented eating foxes, bobcats, raccoons and even alligators. In one shocking case, a team of researchers discovered an 18-foot python that had swallowed a five-foot long alligator whole. These snakes are true apex predators, with the ability to take down prey several times larger than themselves. Their lower jawbones are not fused, allowing their mouths to open to an incredible 10.2 inches in diameter — wide enough to swallow animals six times their size. Their elastic skin further aids in this process, enabling them to stretch around large preys. (Related: Experts discover “terror beast” fossils in Greenland that are over half a BILLION years old.)

The catastrophic impact of pythons on Florida's native wildlife

The consequences of this predation are dire. The Everglades is home to a diverse array of wildlife, from small mammals and birds to larger species like deer and alligators. But the arrival of the Burmese python has thrown this delicate ecosystem into chaos. Native species that have coexisted for millennia are now being hunted to extinction by an invasive predator that they have no natural defenses against. One of the most alarming findings from recent research is that Burmese pythons are not just eating local wildlife — they’re consuming birds that migrate thousands of miles to reach the Everglades. A study conducted by researchers at the University of Florida revealed that pythons have been feasting on birds that traveled as far as Canada before meeting their end in the Florida wetlands. This discovery underscores the far-reaching impact of the python invasion, highlighting the need for a coordinated, multi-agency response to address the problem. The story of how Burmese pythons came to dominate the Everglades is a cautionary tale about the dangers of exotic pet ownership. These snakes were first introduced to Florida in the late 1970s and early 1980s when they were popular pets in the exotic animal trade. However, as the pythons grew larger — some reaching lengths of 20 feet and weights of over 200 pounds — many owners found themselves unable to care for them. Rather than finding responsible solutions, some released their pets into the wild, where they quickly established breeding populations. Today, it’s estimated that tens of thousands of Burmese pythons inhabit the Greater Everglades, with their numbers continuing to grow unchecked. Efforts to control the population have been underway for over a decade, but the scale of the problem is overwhelming. The Conservancy of Southwest Florida’s research team has tagged 120 pythons with radio trackers and removed 770 adult snakes from a 150-square-mile area, but these efforts are only a drop in the bucket compared to the total population.

The cost of inaction

The ecological cost of failing to control the Burmese python population is staggering. If each of the 770 pythons removed by the Conservancy’s team had eaten just one deer, that would amount to over 13,000 pounds of prey — a figure that puts the scale of the problem into perspective. Native species in Florida like foxes, raccoons and deer are disappearing at an alarming rate, and the ripple effects are being felt throughout the ecosystem. Bird populations, in particular, are suffering. The Everglades is a critical stopover for migratory birds, and the loss of these species could have far-reaching consequences for bird populations across North America. This underscores the urgent need for a coordinated response that goes beyond state and national borders. To prevent mass extinctions, immediate and sustained action is needed. This includes increased efforts to remove pythons from the wild, stricter regulations on the exotic pet trade and greater collaboration between state, federal and international agencies. The problem of Burmese pythons is not just a Florida issue — it’s a global one, and it requires a global solution. "This is just the tip of the iceberg in terms of their impact on prey populations," said Bruce Jayne, a professor at the University of Cincinnati. The time to act is now, before the Everglades loses more of its precious wildlife to the insatiable appetite of the Burmese python. Visit WeirdScienceNews.com to read more stories about other weird and terrifying animals. Watch the video below as a Burmese python attacks a python handler. This video is from the When Animals Attack channel on Brighteon.com.

CITIZENS NEWS

The Burmese python’s deadly appetite

The catastrophic impact of pythons on Florida's native wildlife

The cost of inaction

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