Latest news with #Bartoszek
Yahoo
18-06-2025
- Science
- Yahoo
Tons of fun. Naples python program passes 42,000 pounds of Burmese python caught
The Conservancy of Southwest Florida has one of the world's premiere Burmese python research, detection and removal programs, and this past season the python team there literally caught tons of snakes. More than 6,300 pounds of Burmese python were tracked and removed by the team, which has removed more than 40,000 pounds of invasive snake across a 200-square-mile area since 2013. Based in Naples, the program includes biologists, interns and volunteers who use radio telemetry to track male "scout" snakes, which basically go out and find breeding-sized females. Since its inception, workers there have removed more than 11,500 feet of Burmese python, which is about 2 miles. The average snake caught has measured 12.6 feet in length, and the program has removed 277 breeding females. The Burmese python has a diet of more than 80 species, according to the Conservancy. The snakes are removed and handled in a humane fashion, and the biologists later dissect many of the specimens to see what exactly is in their digestive tracts. They also want to know about any egg-bearing females. Conservancy biologist Ian Bartoszek gave a presentation May 15 at the Naples Zoo to a crowd of about 50 snake and conservation enthusiasts. The following captures much of his discussion on pythons and what the audience heard Bartoszek say during is presentation: We've been in the field for well over a decade tracking this animal and uh, it's an intense animal, an impressive creature. There is a good chance we have more Burmese pythons in south Florida than they may have remaining in southeast Asia. That's an important point to keep in mind when you see like skin trade and things like that talked about because we could be putting undue pressure on them in the future. Their superpower is they get big quick. Over 100,000 Burmese pythons were brought in from the pet trade since the '70s, and it was a perfect storm of conditions, whether they were released, escaped pets or hurricanes came through and knocked out breeding facilities, um, you can circle all the above as to how the python became established. No two patterns are alike. I have a lot of respect for this creature, and as a biologist I don't really like having to do that. We can't put these in the zoos, there's no room and their genetics are a bit different than their home in southeast Asia, and they have different parasites and pathogens. We go where the pythons go. We've had a tracking program since 2013, and we've tracked over 120 adults and 92 hatchlings. We removed over 1,500 pythons, big pythons, weighing over 42,000 pounds. 21 tons of snake have come from this area with two biologists and a few interns and volunteers. You can't make this up. It reads out of a science fiction novel. More: Warmer temperatures, cold-tolerant adaptations means Burmese pythons may reach Georgia If you told me 15 years ago that we would be tracking one of the largest snakes on the planet, removing 21 tons, I would think it was crazy. But this is what we're seeing out there. It's intense. So, constrictor snake, semi-aquatic, apex predator, and while I was watching this, the closest analogy I have to what it looked like kind of standing over it, it looked like a whale coming up breaching, a baleen whale in the ocean as to how wide that mouth go. We watched this unfold. We did remove the deer. We weighed the deer, and it was 77 pounds. But we got some science out of this as well. A visiting researcher measured the gape, the maximum circumference of the animal swallowing that. That was 32 inches in circumference. It's just, uh, insane if you think about it. And that's the largest gape recorded on the python to date as well. There's been many firsts on this project ― largest one caught, largest male caught, measured the gape and some other things. Just an impressive beast that we're up against. Don't underestimate the python is one of the take-home messages. They never cease to amaze me, their impact. Impressive species. When we first saw it, we thought, geez that could be a panther. We brought in the state experts, and they found some hair and identified it as a bobcat, so that specific animal had a bobcat and right behind it was an opossum. So, they really don't discriminate. Others have had black-crowned night herons and foxes in the same digestive track, surf and turf. More: Bobcat kills massive Burmese python, returns to feed on its carcass in Florida Everglades Python's digestion is the studied the world over, they have incredible physiology, more than I'm aware of. We talked with National Geographic a few times. They were in the lab two weeks ago and we did a necropsy with them of a large snake, and we were able to show them the remains of white-tailed deer in there and they captured that on film, which I think that will be great for viewers in the future. Why does this matter? White-tailed deer are the primary prey of the Florida panther. You have an endangered subspecies of the Eastern cougar here and insert an invasive predator gobbling up their food source, I'm not sure that's going to help the situation. (We use) VHF radio transmitters. We don't have satellite collars on pythons. We have really adapted to that. The tech isn't there. So, we use this World War II era technology, and, um, it works. It's pretty creepy that, you know, at the end of that beeping is a giant snake usually. But that's what we look for and that's what I enjoy, especially in the breeding season. That could be a pile of giant snakes. It started as a research program to understand where these animals were moving and very quickly, we started to see that the boys were finding the girls in breeding season. What if we tracked more males to find snakes? More: Scout pythons help scientists battle spread of giant snakes as program passes 10th year We're figuring out as we go, but we know our neighborhood and we know how the pythons are behaving outside of town. I believe we're actually doing python management. We're really pushing back on the snakes. They don't care about political boundaries. They don't really want to go into the urban zone if they don't have to, but they will. They'll follow corridors. Nobody has come into our lab yet and showed us a better way to find female pythons off-grid and remove them. The day they do I will hand them the baton, I will wish them well, pour a picture of beer or something and then off to the next thing. This is a lot of heavy lifting. A lot of flight time and field time. We're hacking trails. We're getting the intel. It's like special operations, special forces. We call our male snakes with transmitters scouts. It kind of rolls off the tongue well and those scouts will find us the larger breeding females or get us into close proximity and then we have to search it out. It's not so easy. These animals are not interested in us. They're interested in our native wildlife. So, it's just an amazing creature and if you have a little bit of understanding and realize they're not into us, I've walked in on thousands of python observations, and they've never been interested in me. They just want to get away. More: GoPro video of Florida python slithering through grass provides an exhilarating ride Of course, if you grab them, they're going to tell you about it. They don't want to be grabbed. And they're going to fight back. It's pretty amazing that you can wrangle and apex predator like this, put it in a bag, tie it up and on to the next one. It's crazy. Largest female, largest male and some other things here as well on the project. When I say we removed over 1,400 snakes weighing over 42,000 pounds, that really shows you the volume of the biomass that we're pulling out. We're after the high-value targets until we find a better method to target the rest of them as well. This article originally appeared on Naples Daily News: Naples-area python program passes 1,400 snakes since inception in 2013
Yahoo
09-06-2025
- Science
- Yahoo
These Snake Trackers Have Removed More than 20 Tons of Invasive Pythons from Florida… and They're Just Getting Started
A conservation group in South Florida that's working to reign in the state's Burmese python problem announced a new milestone in those efforts Monday. After more than a decade of intensive efforts, the Conservancy of Southwest Florida says its team of scientists and trackers has caught, killed, and removed more than 40,000 pounds of the giant, invasive snakes from a roughly 200-square-mile area near Naples. That's over 20 tons worth of Burmese pythons, which rank at the very top of Florida's least wanted list of invasive species. Stretching up to 18 feet long, these cold-blooded killers from Southeast Asia have no real natural predators in Florida, and they can they can swallow animals as large as (or even larger than) they are — in other words, pretty much everything that lives in the Everglades. From woodrats and marsh rabbits to gators and full-grown whitetails, these huge snakes are literally eating their way through the native food web. Read Next: Largest Python Ever Captured in Florida Is Nearly 18 Feet Long 'The list of species [being impacted by these snakes] is up to around 85,' Ian Bartoszek, a wildlife biologist and the Conservancy's science coordinator, told Outdoor Life last week, a few days before the organization's Monday announcement. 'It's easier to make a list of what pythons are not eating, than it is to list all the animals that have been found inside pythons to date.' This is precisely where python removal programs come into play. And while studying and researching the reptiles is part of the Conservancy's wider focus, the main goal of its python program is to remove as many snakes from the landscape as possible. Led by Bartoszek and his research partner, Conservancy biologist Ian Easterling, the team has been tracking down pythons amid the dense forests and swamps of the Everglades since 2013. Bartoszek's team of biologists aren't the only ones doing this conservation work. There are several licensed python trackers that get paid for the snakes they remove, and the state invites everyday snake hunters to compete in the highly-publicized Python Challenge each year. But the trackers at the Conservancy are arguably the most effective and efficient removal team in the region because of their science-based approach to finding Burmese pythons, which — despite their size — are uncannily good at hiding. By taking male pythons and fitting them with trackers, Bartoszek's team lets the snakes do most of the seeking. During breeding season, which runs from November through April, the team uses radio telemetry equipment to follow these male 'scout snakes' as they seek out receptive females. The team currently has around 40 scout snakes in its program, and they've helped catch some of the biggest pythons ever recorded in the Florida Everglades. The scouts have also led the team to some major scientific discoveries, including the first-ever photographs of a Florida python swallowing a full-sized deer. 'I don't want to make it sound too melodramatic, but we do get connected to these animals,' Bartoszek says, referring to one scout snake, named Loki, that died after six years in the program. 'It happens when you stay on the tail of a creature for multiple years.' Utilizing their scouts this way, the team can target the biggest breeding females and remove them from the population, along with their eggs and/or hatchlings. The Conservancy says they've kept around 20,000 python eggs from hatching this way. This past winter was also their most productive removal season to date. According to Monday's announcement, the Conservancy took out roughly 6,300 pounds of python in a matter of months. That eye-popping figure is counterbalanced by the staggering and almost incomprehensible size of Florida's python problem. The snakes now inhabit more than a thousand square miles in the southern reaches of the Sunshine State — a region so vast and dense that wildlife managers can only warrant a guess as to the overall population of Burmese pythons there. (Current estimates by the Florida Fish and Wildlife Commission are between 100,000 and 300,000 snakes.) In many ways it's an unwinnable battle, with python removal teams like Bartoszek's doing the best they can to hold the line — or in some cases, slowly push it back. Read Next: Florida Python Trackers Remove Two Giant Mating Balls in Record Day of Snake Hunting 'People tend to ask, 'Are we making a dent?' And I would say yes,' Bartoszek says. 'Especially in those areas where we've had the scout method underway for over a decade. Those [males] are ranging further afield and finding fewer females, and the ones that they do find are typically smaller size classes … And we hope to see those similar patterns keep developing over the next couple years and into the future.'
Miami Herald
09-06-2025
- Science
- Miami Herald
Battle to eradicate invasive pythons in Florida achieves stunning milestone
A startling milestone has been reached in Florida's war against the invasive Burmese pythons eating their way across the Everglades. The Conservancy of Southwest Florida reports it has captured and humanely killed 20 tons of the snakes since 2013, including a record 6,300 pounds of pythons killed this past breeding season, according to a June 9 news release. To put that in perspective, 20 tons — or 40,000 pounds — is a mound of snakes the size of a fire truck ... or a fully loaded city bus. What's startling is those 1,400 snakes didn't come from a statewide culling. They came from a 200-square-mile area in southwestern Florida, the conservancy reports. The greater Everglades ecosystem, where the snakes are thriving, covers more than 7,800 square miles, according to wildlife biologist Ian Bartoszek, the Conservancy Science Project Manager who oversees the python program. It's estimated tens of thousands of pythons are roaming the region, the U.S. Geological Survey says. 'I guess the real question is what did it take in native animals to make 20 tons of python? ... It still amazes me how big these animals get and how many of them are out there,' Bartoszek told McClatchy News in a phone interview. 'Pythons have indeterminate growth and the more they eat, the larger they become. On this project we have captured the largest female by weight at just under 18 (feet) but weighing a massive 215 pounds and the largest male at 16 (feet) and 140 pounds. Their size is a reflection of the available prey base. We probably grow them larger in Southwest Florida because we still have deer and medium-sized mammals for them to prey upon. In portions of the eastern Everglades, it is likely the reverse.' University of Florida researchers have identified 85 species of birds and mammals (including reptiles) that are being eaten by pythons in the Everglades, leading to fears they are decimating some native mammal populations, Bartoszek says. Southwestern Florida's wetlands are like a buffet for pythons, putting the region and the conservancy on the front lines. It's only with the help of technology that the conservancy has gained ground since starting the python program in 2013, Bartoszek says. This includes a scout snake program that fits radio telemetry trackers on 40 male pythons, so they can be tracked to reproductive females during mating season (November through April). Those females are humanely euthanized and the tagged males are freed to track down more females. The program has prevented more than 20,000 python eggs from hatching, the conservancy says. 'Long-term monitoring has shown signs of positive effectiveness of these efforts, as scout snakes increasingly struggle to locate mates or the females they find are smaller in size,' the conservancy says. Bartoszek's team, which includes biologist Ian Easterling, made headlines in 2024 when it walked up on a 115-pound python swallowing a 77-pound deer. That amounted to 66.9% of the snake's body mass and proved they are eating larger prey in Florida. The female python captured and swallowed the live deer in less than an hour, the team concluded. Among the other disconcerting discoveries made: The snakes are expanding their range. They are well established in counties along Florida's southeastern and southwestern coasts and sightings are now being reported near Lake Okeechobee, Bartoszek says. That's about a 110-mile drive northwest from Miami. 'The Burmese python always continues to surprise me and I have an internal memory reel of all the firsts we have seen on the project. The most visceral ones are when we see first hand what they are consuming,' Bartoszek said. 'But those are counterbalanced by seeing native wildlife fighting back, like when we discovered a bobcat that had predated upon one of our scout snakes. Or when we had tracked hatchling pythons over many summers and would eventually be tracking the predators that consumed them, including an endangered eastern Indigo snake. Those feels like wins for the home team when you get to see the Everglades fighting back.' Burmese pythons are native to southeastern Asia, but they began appearing in Florida in the 1970s, according to the South Florida Water Management District. It's suspected the snakes were pets, and they were either released by their owners or escaped captivity, the district says. 'The Burmese python is decimating native wildlife across their invaded range. ... The python team's work of reducing the local population of the invasive snake allows our native wildlife safer conditions to recover,' said Rob Moher, Conservancy of Southwest Florida president and CEO. The Conservancy of Southwest Florida is an environmental organization based in Naples that works to protect natural resources and wildlife in Collier, Lee, Charlotte, Hendry and Glades counties. It collaborates with the U.S. Geological Survey, National Park Service, University of Florida, Florida Fish and Wildlife, South Florida Water Management District, Rookery Bay Research Reserve and Naples Zoo.
Time of India
07-06-2025
- Time of India
Burmese Python, 13-foot long, killed by Florida bobcat in Everglades; first recorded case
Burmese Python, 13-foot long, killed by Florida bobcat in Everglades; first recorded case In a rare and surprising turn of events, a Florida bobcat was captured on camera taking down a 13-foot Burmese python in a bold and unusual attack. Burmese pythons are wreaking havoc on the Everglades ecosystem, but some native animals have been known to prey on the enormous reptiles. Wildlife biologists say the encounter could be a significant development in the battle between native predators in Florida's Everglades. The snake's remains were found near the city of Naples in December 2022 by Ian Bartoszek, a wildlife biologist of the Conservancy of Southwest Florida. The researchers are studying how native predators are adapting to invasive snakes - and possibly seeing them as a new food source. 13-foot Burmese python killed by a Florida bobcat Bartoszek's team was tracking Loki, a 13-foot long, 52 pound scout snake. They expected to find Loki with a female python. Instead, they found his remains- partially buried under pine needles. Bartoszek, who had tracked Loki through six breeding seasons said, 'It was a bit sad and a bit exciting at the same time. We sort of treated it as a bit of a CSI crime scene'. The team started to look for evidence and clues as to what had killed the massive snake. The way Loki's neck was chewed and head buried, pointed to a native predator: a Florida bobcat. Soon after, the trail camera confirmed the suspicion, capturing footage of the scene. Burmese Pythons in Florida: A growing threat Native to Southeast Asia, Burmese pythons first arrived in America in the 1990s and early 2000s as part of the exotic pet trade. But as the number of snakes grew, some pet owners felt like they could not keep them, and released them into the wild. Burmese pythons are non-native apex predators that have wreaked havoc on Florida's delicate ecosystem since escaping or being released into the wild decades ago. Known to eat a variety of animals—including deer, raccoons, birds, and even bobcats—they've drastically reduced populations of many native species in the Everglades. What led to the kill, weather may have played a role According to biologists, the bobcat may have taken advantage of a rare opportunity. Just days before Loki was found dead, a cold snap hit South Florida. As a cold-blooded reptile, the python may have been vulnerable outside of its burrow, making it an easy target for a bold bobcat. While pythons are known to prey on bobcats, this role reversal could indicate that native predators are adapting to the presence of the invasive snakes. Florida wildlife conservation: A concern The incident is being seen as an important step to manage Florida's increasing python population. Since 2013, Bartoszek and his team have followed male pythons to help locate and remove breeding females, helping to slow their spread. Now, with native animals starting to treat pythons as their prey, this could mark a beginning to fight back and restore ecological balance in the Everglades. Researchers are still collecting evidence and looking for trends in how predators like bobcats and bears. 'There's a bit of a pattern emerging that - and you'd expect as much - over time, the ecosystem is rebalancing itself. It's fighting back,' Bartoszek said. 'These native predators are recognizing Burmese pythons as a new food source and are able to take advantage of some of their vulnerabilities.' Also read | 47-million-year-old snake found may be the biggest ever, surpassing Titanoboa
Time of India
04-06-2025
- Science
- Time of India
Bobcat takes down 13-foot Burmese python in Florida, experts shocked
Wildlife just threw us a plot twist straight out of National Geographic (or honestly, a Florida-style action movie). In a rare and wild encounter deep in the Everglades, a bobcat took down a massive 13-foot Burmese python, and we're all here for this unexpected comeback story. Tired of too many ads? go ad free now It happened near Naples, Florida, in December 2022. Wildlife biologist Ian Bartoszek and his team from the Conservancy of Southwest Florida were tracking a tagged python named Loki—a 52-pound, 13-foot-long "scout snake" used to find breeding female pythons. These snakes are part of a broader effort to control the invasive Burmese python population that's wreaking havoc in Florida's delicate ecosystem. But instead of finding Loki snuggled up with a lady python, Bartoszek stumbled upon a murder scene straight out of CSI: Wildlife Edition. Loki was dead—head gone, neck chewed, and the severed part was buried under pine needles like some kind of ritual. 'We've been following Loki through six breeding seasons. It was kind of sad and exciting at the same time,' Bartoszek said. So what creature could take down a monster snake like that? Bartoszek suspected a bobcat or maybe even a Florida panther. To get answers, he reached out to wild cat expert David Shindle from the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service, and they set up a trail cam. Sure enough, the very next morning, the killer returned—on camera. An adult bobcat casually strolled in to sniff around the scene, probably checking if its midnight snack was still there. And just like that, the mystery was solved. Now here's the cool part: normally, Burmese pythons eat bobcats, not the other way around. But this time, Mother Nature had other plans. Tired of too many ads? go ad free now A cold snap had hit the area, which might've left the cold-blooded python too sluggish to defend itself. It was a golden opportunity for the bobcat, and it took it. Bartoszek described it as a win for native predators. 'Score one for the home team,' he said. And honestly, we love to see it. This isn't a one-time fluke either. Bartoszek's team later found another python killed during a cold snap—this time, probably by a black bear. So it looks like native predators are finally figuring out how to fight back against the python invasion. Over time, this could be a game-changer. As Florida's ecosystem fights to rebalance itself, bobcats, bears, and other native animals are learning that pythons can be dinner—not just danger.
