An cold front is causing a significant temperature drops in parts of Florida.
“A very impressive blast of cold air is expected to dive into the Southeast early next week,” AccuWeather meteorologist Alex DaSilva said in a Nov. 5 email.
“Temperatures across the eastern half of the nation — including all the way to South Florida — can be 8-16 degrees below historical averages. “I think the coldest period for Florida will be Monday night (Nov. 10) into Tuesday morning (Nov. 11, which also happens to be Veterans Day).”
How do some of Florida’s most famous critters fare in the cold?
Florida’s alligators stop eating when temperatures drop to around 70 degrees and become dormant at temperatures below 55.
Iguanas famously fall from South Florida trees when it gets chilly, becoming immobilized when temperatures dip to between 40 and 50 degrees.
What about Burmese pythons? Can the invasive snakes survive in the cold?
Where are Burmese pythons from? How did they get to Florida?
Burmese pythons are native to Southeast Asia. Many of the invasive snakes came to the U.S. because of their popularity in the pet trade, according to the U.S. Geological Survey.
The snakes were then intentionally or accidentally released in South Florida.
➤ WATCH: ‘Godzilla’ the alligator hauls massive Burmese python through water in Florida Everglades
Are Burmese pythons still a problem in Florida, Everglades?
Burmese pythons are an invasive species established across more than a thousand square miles of South Florida, including Everglades National Park, Big Cypress National Preserve and Collier-Seminole State Park.
The constrictors have few predators and prey on native species, eating just about anything from field mice to deer.
According to a 2012 study, they’ve contributed to the decline of raccoons, opossums, bobcats, foxes, and marsh and cottontail rabbits.
Where in Florida are pythons found?
According to Florida Fish and Wildlife, Burmese pythons are established from just south of Lake Okeechobee to Key Largo and from western Broward County west to Collier County, including:
Any pythons found outside of those areas are likely escaped or released captive animals.
However, “due to the cryptic nature of pythons, it can take a while to gather enough evidence to confirm new areas of establishment,” FWC said.
How does cold weather impact Burmese pythons?
“In their native range Burmese pythons are subtropical reptiles and are cold sensitive animals,” Conservancy of Southwest Florida Environmental Science Coordinator Ian Bartoszek told The News-Press.
“Freezing temperatures can be lethal to pythons. Conservancy biologists have observed pythons using gopher tortoise and armadillo burrows to seek refuge from cold events.”
But, according to a USGS report on Burmese pythons in Florida, “there is evidence that evolutionary change has already altered parts of the genome responsible for cold tolerance, and there is the potential for behavioral plasticity to enhance cold tolerance.”
“This evidence suggests we may at least expect that pythons can tolerate climatic conditions farther north than where the population is currently established south of Lake Okeechobee,” the report says.
Biggest Burmese python ever caught?
Burmese pythons are among the largest snakes in the world, with adult animals averaging between 10 and 16 feet long, according to the University of Florida.
A group of python hunters caught the longest Burmese python ever measured on July 10, 2023, in the Big Cypress National Preserve in eastern Collier County.
The monster snake was 19 feet long.
The heaviest Burmese python ever recorded was caught by Conservancy of Southwest Florida biologists in the Florida Everglades in 2022. The colossal female python weighed an eye-popping 215 pounds and was nearly 18 feet long.
Are Burmese pythons venomous?
Burmese pythons are non-venomous. Pythons constrict their prey, then swallow it. There have been no reports of human deaths from Burmese pythons in the wild in Florida.
Can you shoot Burmese pythons in Florida?
Reptiles not native to Florida are not protected in the state except by anti-cruelty law. Shooting Burmese pythons is permitted as long as state and local firearms rules are followed and the animal loses consciousness immediately. The animal’s brain should then be destroyed by pithing to prevent it from regaining consciousness, according to FWC.
Contributing: Chad Gillis, Naples Daily News
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This article originally appeared on Naples Daily News: Cold weather arrives in Florida. Can invasive Burmese pythons survive?
Reporting by Kim Luciani, Fort Myers News-Press & Naples Daily News / Naples Daily News
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