Mammal Decline in Everglades National Park

[RTM58]

Am I the only person who finds this concerning?


Nearly 80 percent of radio-tracked marsh rabbits that died in Everglades National Park in a recent study were eaten by Burmese pythons, according to a new publication by University of Florida and U.S. Geological Survey researchers.
A year later, there was no sign of a rabbit population in the study area. The study demonstrates that Burmese pythons are now the dominant predator of marsh rabbits, and likely other mid-sized animals in the park, potentially upsetting the balance of a valuable ecosystem.

The study provides the first empirical evidence that the Burmese python caused reductions in marsh rabbit populations in the park, supporting previous studies that suggested pythons were a significant factor in declines of many other mid-sized mammals since becoming established there a few decades ago.

The estimated tens of thousands of Burmese pythons now populating the greater Everglades present a low risk to people in the park, according to previous research by USGS and NPS.
The researchers radio-tracked the rabbits and found that 77 percent of those that died in the Everglades were eaten by Burmese pythons, and that there was no sign of a rabbit population in the areas where they released them in the park one year later.

MORE: http://www.usgs.gov/newsroom/article.asp?ID=4158#.VRl4y3nwtEY

 

[FSUTribe76]

Originally posted by RTM58:

Am I the only person who finds this concerning?


Nearly 80 percent of radio-tracked marsh rabbits that died in Everglades National Park in a recent study were eaten by Burmese pythons, according to a new publication by University of Florida and U.S. Geological Survey researchers.
A year later, there was no sign of a rabbit population in the study area. The study demonstrates that Burmese pythons are now the dominant predator of marsh rabbits, and likely other mid-sized animals in the park, potentially upsetting the balance of a valuable ecosystem.

The study provides the first empirical evidence that the Burmese python caused reductions in marsh rabbit populations in the park, supporting previous studies that suggested pythons were a significant factor in declines of many other mid-sized mammals since becoming established there a few decades ago.

Well they were superconcerbed about it before and made a giant production about a roundup to kill these alleged hundreds of thousands of pythons, had 1,600 alleged Python hunters signup.....and 68 were caught.

 

[FSUTribe76]

The bigger well documented threat to Florida wildlife is the lionfish. And unlike pythons, when they do lionfish rodeos they actually catch thousands of them.

 

[goldmom]

Did I read somewhere that the state has declared that there is open season on these invasives? Or was it the feds since its inside a national park?

There should be a dollar-based bounty for every python carcass turned in. This is truly upsetting the food chain. What happens when a Florida panther is swallowed up by one of these things?

 

[FSUTribe76]

Originally posted by goldmom:

Did I read somewhere that the state has declared that there is open season on these invasives? Or was it the feds since its inside a national park?

There should be a dollar-based bounty for every python carcass turned in. This is truly upsetting the food chain. What happens when a Florida panther is swallowed up by one of these things?

There's never a limit on any invasive and occasionally there are bounties.

And actually one big thing that would help is if Florida loosened its laws against game use in restaurants. There's a pizza joint in Ft Myers that goes through tons of pythons for its Everglades Pizza (which is great btw, it's got pythons, frog legs, gator sausage and swamp cabbage/heart of palm), but they have to order their Python from Vietnamese farms. Which so you think is more wholesome, fresh caught from the relatively clean Florida Everglades or a Vietnamese factory farm?

Florida is stupid.

 

[Fijimn]

I saw a cooking program where several restaurants are serving up lion fish. I never knew you could eat them. Feral hogs are a huge problem in Texas. You can shoot all you want, all your around. There are several guided helicopter shooting programs...where you blast them with a machine gun like you are in 'Nam. Down south of me, I know of a camp where they have a spear hunting trip.--that's pretty crazy to me.

 

[Formerly Rockymtnole]

I would put the word out to the Chinese that eating a steady diet of lionfish and burmese python can eliminate ED and make you irresistible to members of the opposite sex. Problem solved.

 

[SeaPA]

Originally posted by Fijimn:

I saw a cooking program where several restaurants are serving up lion fish. I never knew you could eat them.

They've been doing that in Roatan (Honduras) for several years; they've turned it into a big event - have a "hunt" where they award various prizes (most lionfish killed, largest killed, etc), then have a cooking contest with the fish that are brought in.

It's not poisonous to eat (the poisons are in the spines); in fact, it's shown to be a very healthy fish to eat - high in omega 3, low in saturated fat, minimal traces of mercury. I've had it a couple of times, it's pretty good stuff - light, flaky white fish.

 

[RTM58]

Yeah, the hog hunts are all over Youtube (LINK). Lion fish are much tougher to control as they can be anywhere or come from other areas like Bahamas.

I don't know that a month long weekend warrior "hunt' would be your best argument for the population isn't substantial tribe. I also don't now that anyone has estimated hundreds of thousand (besides reporters), but tens of thousand is too many for me.

I also think I would skip the pizza if its local product: Permit holders can sell the hide and meat, thus providing a type of compensation (note: Burmese pythons from Everglades National Park have been found to have very high levels of mercury and may not be recommended for human consumption).

I like the ED suggestion.


This post was edited on 3/30 2:14 PM by RTM58

 

[FSUTribe76]

Originally posted by SeaPA:

They've been doing that in Roatan (Honduras) for several years; they've turned it into a big event - have a "hunt" where they award various prizes (most lionfish killed, largest killed, etc), then have a cooking contest with the fish that are brought in.

It's not poisonous to eat (the poisons are in the spines); in fact, it's shown to be a very healthy fish to eat - high in omega 3, low in saturated fat, minimal traces of mercury. I've had it a couple of times, it's pretty good stuff - light, flaky white fish.

Yeah they've started selling them in a lot of the mainstream restaurants in the Caymans as well though it's a recent phenomenon. When I was there in December, lionfish (cooked) was all over the island. When I was there the year before I don't recall seeing it at all. Certainly nowhere as commonly.

And yes it's delicious. All of the fish in that order (the New Zealand sea perches, scorpionfish, sea robins eye) are some of the best tasting white meat fish in the sea. Very sweet and buttery but firm texture. I'd take it over almost any other white meat fish in Florida (infinitely better than the sea trout and redfish you catch inshore, although spade fish and true Angels are two that are often returned and not eaten yet are equally as good).

The lionfish meat would be good regardless, but it helps they have almost no predators and the prey haven't bred in defensive strategies so they are always filled with extra fat (aka "butteriness").

 

[FSUTribe76]

Here's a link to an article on the Everglades pizza. I've got a client in Ft Myers I have to visit every quarter so I bought one about a year ago. It was really, really good. I came across it randomly in some article about the single best pizza in every state and this was the pick for Florida. The actual pizza (ie crust, cheese and sauce) was really good just by itself so im sure a pepperoni from there would be great. But the homemade gator sausage was amazing and the frog legs (which of course taste like a mix of scallop and frog legs when good) and Python (which tastes just like boring ordinary white meat chicken) were both perfectly cooked and juicy, not dried out flavourless rubber. And surprisingly...swamp cabbage works really good on pizza. I've added hearts of palm to the few homemade pizzas I've made since then.

Link to the Everglades Pizza

 

[noleit]

I wish we could have a money-grabbing lesbian lawyer round-up.

 

[Lemon Thrower]

Originally posted by noleit:
I wish we could have a money-grabbing lesbian lawyer round-up.

did Janet Reno move back to the Everglades?

i think the pythons are worth it if they get the skunk ape.

 

[goldmom]

Originally posted by Lemon Thrower:

Originally posted by noleit:
I wish we could have a money-grabbing lesbian lawyer round-up.

did Janet Reno move back to the Everglades?

i think the pythons are worth it if they get the skunk ape.

Hey now. I think Aunt Pat would be the obvious reference here.

 

[Dee1135]

Tribe, I was very hesitant to try it but was shocked how good it was. No doubt the best pie I've ever had.

 

[Lemon Thrower]

Originally posted by Dee1135:

Tribe, I was very hesitant to try it but was shocked how good it was. No doubt the best pie I've ever had.

are you referring to Janet Reno or Aunt Pat?