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Burmese Python

Python molurus bivittatus

Overview

This project is intended to educate ourselves and others about invasive exotic pets and solutions to the increasing problem.

Objectives

To learn how unwanted invasive species can cause problems in Florida ecosystems. Students will learn the meaning of biodiversity and how to distinguish the difference between a non-native and an invasive species.

UPDATED NEWS FROM The Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation:

http://myfwc.com/NEWSROOM/Resources/News_Resources_PythonPermitFAQs.htm

The program to hunt burmese pythons in the Everglades will run from July 17 to Oct. 31. Then the FWC will probably make changes to the program.

Team

• Bruno
• Jamiaca
• Simba
• Adrianne

Timeline

• Kickoff: Thursday, September 24, 2009
• Research: Thursdays: Oct. 1, Oct. 8, Oct. 15,  
• Animation or Digital Story begin:  Oct. 22
• Storyboarding and scene production: Oct. 29, Nov. 5, Nov. 12, Nov. 19
• Animation production or Digital story production: Dec. 3, Dec. 10 and Dec. 17 
• Hollywood Premier: Dec. 17th view in Multipurpose - AIR IN WLMN news after Winter Break
• Celebration: Dec. 18 - Possible critter encounter

Inquiries- I wonder questions that need solving:

• Explain if your species is a native or non-native species. Find out if it is invasive and tell a few clues that tell you that this species is invasive.         

My species the Burmese Pyton is non-native because, it is from Southeast Asia,and when they were sent to be pets in the USA there owners didn't want them they let them out in the wild and became an non-native species in florida.

• Where does your species come from? How did it get here? Great work Simba! Can you tell us how it got here all the way from Southeast Asia? How did it end up free in our Florida Habitats?(start typing here) by Simba:They were smuggled here by the southeast ansian's as pets and when they grew to big people sent them out into the wild. So now humans are hunting them.

The Burmese Python (Python molurus bivittatus) is the largest subspecies of the Indian Python and one of the 6 largest snakes in the world, native to rainforest areas of Southeast Asia. They are often found near water and are sometimes semi-aquatic, but can also be found in trees. Acording to Answers.com

They were brought to the United States for pets and when people didn't want them so they let them go.          

• What does invasive mean? How is it different than being just non-native? (by Bruno) The meaning it conveys is that of something that is spreads very rapidly and it is very difficult for anybody to stop it.  Non-native means it comes from other place  and some non-native species were introduced intentionally to serve a purpose, or were accidentally introduced. But some introduced plants and animals can cause problems or harm. Those are the non-native species that we are concerned about as invasive.

• How does your species affect our Florida habitats? What Florida animals is this species hurting or affecting? How are people guilty of it?  (by Bruno) There is a growing concern in South Florida regarding how we should help control a particular nonnative reptile that has been receiving a lot of media attention lately.  Since the Burmese python has few natural predators in Florida, its numbers have grown into the thousands in South Florida. The invasion of gigantic Burmese pythons in South Florida appears to be rapidly expanding, according to a new report from a University of Florida researcher who’s been chasing the snakes since 2005. Burmese pythons are carnivores, surviving primarily on small mammals and birds. They have poor eyesight, and stalk prey using chemical receptors in their tongues and heat-sensors along the jaws. They kill by constriction, grasping a victim with their sharp teeth, coiling their bodies around the animal, and squeezing until it suffocates. They have stretchy ligaments in their jaws that allow them to swallow all their food whole.

   

• What can humans do to fix the problem? (start typing here) - All of you should come up with at least one idea for a total of four ideas.

1.They sould catch one [if they can] and ship the back to Souteast Asia Not a bad suggestion...Do you think that could cost a lot of money to fly one snake all the way to Asia? Look at this map:

2. I think the people should not have a python as a pet  because is too dangerous. (Bruno)

3.        

4. 

Resources and Safe Websites

• About Burmese Pythons - Florida Fish Wildlife Conservation Commission
• More about the Burmese Python - FWC
• What can you do? Invaders - Tampa Bay Kid's Corner
• The Washington Post - One Man's Pet; Another's Invasive Species
• E-Fieldtrip - Everglades National Park Tour
• E-Fieldtrip - Everglades INVADERS!
• Green Invaders - National Geographic for Kids
• Alien Invaders - National Geographic
• Florida Native Wildlife preservation
• Florida Invaders- NPS. gov
• Animal Adaptations Game
• My FWC
• Science Daily

Pictures and images collected -

Please make sure to give photographer credit for their picture by writing copying and pasting the website where you got the picture and the name of the person who took the picture.