Photo Of Burmese Python Eating White Pelican In The Everglades Illustrates Big Eco Problem

The Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission has once again warned people on the effects of invasive Burmese pythons in the everglades ecosystem.

This came after a python was photographed constricting a white pelican in the area.

The pelican is a member of a species which reaches nine feet in wingspan and one of the largest in Florida, so it is evident why this would be a problem.

FWC officials claimed people could assist with the python situation through joining the Python Action Team initiative to remove invasion constrictors.

The applicants of the program have to meet particular requirements if they are to be accepted into the program. They are going to be paid to remove pythons and then give them to the FWC.

Any individual would be able to win a prize for removing and humanely killing the snakes which are found on private property and with the consent of the owner.

The python photographed killing the pelican was discovered by Matthew Dickey, a biologist with the University of Florida who was surveying threatened species in the water conservation area 3A.

He was surveying for snail kites when he came upon the python.
It surprised him because he had only seen them once before in the wild.

He reiterated that it was too late for him to save the pelican, but there was a chance to make a difference going forward.

The white pelicans do not live in Florida like the brown ones. They also do not feed in the same manner. Instead of plunge-diving like their cousins, they tend to float and scoop small fish into their beaks.

It can be for an extended period when they are vulnerable and become opportunistic meals for large snakes like the Burmese python. The pythons are also semi-aquatic.

The serpents present an issue because they are not native to the area but were brought over the years as pets when they were younger.

Some of these escaped into the forested areas where they were at the top of the food chain.

With no natural hindrances and plenty of prey, they overran the area and are posing a big problem. Scientists say they have managed to decimate much of the local mammal population and eliminated food for the natural predators like alligators and panthers.

The Python Action Team initiative is looking to hire more snake catchers to deal with the problem.

More than 3,000 pythons have been eliminated or removed from the everglades since 2017, not counting the ones done by members of the public.