Everglades | Florida | U.S.
The Everglades is a living example of what could go wrong when non-native species takeover an ecosystem. The answer - the native fauna is decimated. We are talking of the recent past where the Burmese Python, a non-native species of the Everglades, made it their home. And in two decades the small mammals’ population and large reptiles (alligators) alike were destroyed. While it still is a 50-50 bet on which is the current apex predator, the alligator or the Burmese python, it isn’t long before we realize that the population of one keeps multiplying while the other is more or less stable. In such a circumstance, we are inclined to believe the Burmese python has got the better of the alligators.
The laws in Florida allows exotic pets, which is how the Burmese python first entered the States. And then a natural disaster, set these exotic pets out of their man-made enclosure into the Everglades. The python found the ecosystem of marsh land perfect to breed and multiply and that set initiated the ecosystem takeover. It happened in the 1980s and the Everglades is yet to come to terms with the assault. There are claims that there could be thousands or even hundreds of thousands of Burmese pythons inhabiting the Everglades today.
If this news not horrific enough, there’s more. The Burmese python is an old news. Recently, Anacondas were spotted in the Everglades.
Anacondas | Everglades Calling
Despite the Burmese python wrecking the Everglades’ ecosystem, the law still allows residents to own exotic pets. That has led to the newest addition to the Everglades – the Green Anaconda. The initial news hints at a few Anaconda observed in the wild, yet, it is believed, they haven’t multiplied as fast or as much as the Burmese python. There is still hope that initial attempt to curb the Green Ananconda population spread should work; now that the Floridians have the experience of dealing with the Burmese python.
Anaconda is native to the South Americas and calls the Amazon rain forest home. The news of Anacondas in the Everglades is causing a distress in the local population. Should the Green Anaconda population grow as much as the Burmese Python, the native Alligator species are the first to cave in. The Green Anaconda is a species that feeds on Caiman in the South Americas, so Alligator would be fair play for the species.
Will The Spread Stop?
While it is unknown as of now if the Green Anacondas in the Everglades or their population can be controlled, it would be better that the local wildlife authorities deal with it with utmost pace. A sizeable native mammals were already lost to the Burmese Python, it would be good that the same does not happen with the Alligators and the new entrants – Green Ananconda!
Image Courtesy: Wikimedia Commons