February was another productive month for the South Florida Water Management District’s Python Elimination Program.
Now in its second year, the program focuses on the removal of the invasive pythons by certified agents (hunters) and cash prizes are awarded in different categories.
The SFWMD likes to remind people that “every invasive python that is removed is making a difference to protect the Everglades and the region’s native wildlife.”
Python hunter Anthony Flanagan was the big winner in February. He caught and removed 16 pythons and was awarded $600 for his efforts. He was awarded an addition $1,500 bonus for capturing eight or more pythons.
Here is a breakdown of the other winners and the cash prizes they won:
How much will Florida pay you for Burmese pythons?
The FWC’s Python Action Team – Removing Invasive Constrictors, in conjunction with South Florida Water Management District’s Python Elimination Program, contracts with qualified private individuals like Jackson and his family to remove pythons.
Contractors are paid hourly – $13 or $18, depending on the area – for removal efforts. Freelancers earn $50 for each python up to four feet long, plus $25 for each additional foot, and $200 per nest removal after field verification by FWC.
Applications for the Python Action Team are accepted year-round.
The invasive snakes number in the thousands and have unleashed havoc and destruction across more than 1,000 square miles of the Everglades region ecosystem.
Native to Southeast Asia, many of the snakes came to the U.S. due to their popularity in the pet trade, according to the U.S. Geological Survey. The snakes were then intentionally or accidentally released in South Florida and quickly spread out.
Burmese pythons have few predators and prey on native species, eating just about anything from field mice to deer.
Controlling their numbers and preventing even more spread is crucial.
How many Burmese pythons are in Florida?
“Burmese pythons are hard to find due to their cryptic coloration and secretive behaviors, and their low detection probability is a major challenge to effective python control and research,” according to Florida Fish and Wildlife.
However, conservative estimates by the USGS put the Burmese python population in the Florida Everglades region in the tens of thousands.
What do Burmese pythons do to Florida? Invasive snake’s impact
Burmese pythons have wrought destruction in the Florida Everglades. They’ve contributed to the decline of small mammals including raccoons, opossums, bobcats, foxes, marsh rabbits and cottontail rabbits, according to a 2012 study.
A recent study revealed that Burmese pythons can eat prey much larger than previously reported. Scientists observed a Burmese python swallowing a 77-pound white-tailed deer, nearly 70 percent of the snake’s mass.
The non-native snakes have proliferated across more than a thousand square miles of South Florida.
What to do if you catch a Burmese python in Florida?
If you catch a Burmese python in Florida, you must humanely kill the snake where it was captured. Transporting live pythons is not permitted.
How to humanely kill a Burmese python in Florida
According to FWC, Burmese pythons are not protected in Florida except by anti-cruelty law. Burmese python must be humanely euthanized.
Two steps must be completed to kill a python humanely:
Apply the tool to the target area (brain) to achieve an immediate loss of consciousness.
Can you shoot Burmese pythons in Florida?
The Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission says Burmese pythons can be shot on private property at any time with the landowner’s permission as long as local laws and regulations allow it.
This article originally appeared on Marco Eagle: Cash for pythons: Program celebrates another productive month
Reporting by Mark H. Bickel, USA TODAY NETWORK – Florida / Marco Eagle
USA TODAY Network via Reuters Connect
