20 Tons of Pythons Removed from Everglades—But Invasion Still Spreads

According to the Miami Herald, scientists and snake wranglers have removed 20 tons of invasive Burmese pythons from the Florida Everglades—but despite their efforts, the impact has been minimal. The pythons continue to spread, steadily tightening their grip on the region.

If you’re unaware, South Florida has an enormous python problem. Those slithery bastards were brought in by showboating drug dealers and dipshit exotic pet owners over the years, only to eventually lose them or purposely release them into the Everglades after the things got too big and unwieldy.

They started mating and reproducing like crazy, and now the only recourse is to kill them all as quickly and humanely as possible. It sounds harsh, but their existence is harsher because they are single-handedly killing off native species at alarming rates.

Since 2013, the Conservancy of Southwest Florida has removed over 40,000 pounds of these apex predators from just a 200-square-mile slice of the Everglades. That is the weight equivalent of a fire truck, and it’s barely been a drop in the bucket.

The greater ecosystem sprawls across 7,800 square miles, and tens of thousands of pythons are believed to be slithering through it.
Burmese pythons, originally hailing from Southeast Asia, have munched on at least 85 different species of birds, mammals, and reptiles.

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Some are even snacking on deer. One time, a python was found in mid-meal with a 77-pound deer halfway down its throat.

That snake weighed 115 pounds, meaning it had eaten a thing that was 70 percent of its own body weight. That’s like you eating a small refrigerator.

While the numbers of killed pythons need to be reduced to keep ecological balance in check, the Conservancy’s numbers are still pretty impressive. They have a secret weapon to thank: Spy Snakes.

They implant radio trackers into male “scout snakes,” then follow them during mating season (November through April) to find and remove the larger reproductive females. So far, this clever cockblocking has prevented over 20,000 python eggs from hatching.

The program is working, but the pythons are expanding their range, showing up as far north as Lake Okeechobee. Biologist Ian Bartoszek says he’s both awed and disturbed by what they’re up against.

Thankfully, he says nature is helping turn the tide in the ongoing war against pythons as he’s seen evidence that native predators like bobcats and indigo snakes are fighting back against these invasive pythons.
The swamp isn’t going down without a fight.