POTENTIAL RANGE OF INVASIVE BURMESE PYTHONS

Go Gator! American alligator with a Burmese python
photo by Lori Oberhofer, National Park Service, Bugwood.org

During a recent period of cold weather, seven of nine captive Burmese Pythons held in outdoor pens at a facility in north central Florida died, or would have died without intervention from the researchers. The snakes died in spite of having heat sources available to them. This indicates that colder weather may deter the pythons from expanding their range any further north. This information is from COLD WEATHER AND THE POTENTIAL RANGE OF INVASIVE BURMESE PYTHONS, an article in the research journal, Biological Invasions. The authors are Michael L. Avery, Richard M. Engeman, Kandy L. Keacher, John S. Humphrey, William E. Bruce, Tom C. Mathies & Richard E. Mauldin. You can find the complete article in: 2010. Biological Invasions 12: 3649-3652.