Ruinous reptiles

Editorial

A scientific study that found Burmese pythons are wiping out wildlife in the Everglades is frightening.

It's even more frightening that one of the researchers says pythons may not even be the greatest threat to Florida.

Frank Mazzotti, a University of Florida professor who has been studying the Everglades' wildlife for decades, says that 140 other species of reptiles and amphibians have been introduced into Florida, "and any one could become the next Burmese python. Once they become established, options are limited."

Florida could easily have its native wildlife endangered if it does not commit to controlling exotic species.

Vigorous controls on the import of exotics and a concentrated effort to control existing intruders are needed.

Yet Florida and Washington officials traditionally have been reluctant to confront the threat of alien flora and fauna.

State lawmakers for years resisted proposals to control the import of harmful exotics, particularly plants that had proved damaging but were favored by some nursery operations.

The federal government only recently — and at the continued urging of Florida Sen. Bill Nelson — banned the import of the Burmese python and three other pythons, but it continues to allow the import of other constrictors and countless other exotic creatures that pose an invasive threat

The recent ban came more than a decade after scientists first raised the alarm about Burmese pythons breeding in the Everglades.

In 2006 a photograph of a 13-foot python that apparently burst while trying to eat a 6-foot alligator drew widespread attention but little action.

Virtually all of the 140 alien reptiles and amphibians on the prowl in Florida were likely brought here for the pet trade.

Irresponsible owners sometimes turn the animals loose. Some may escape. The cold-blooded creatures often find Florida's semi-tropical weather hospitable and start making families.

The results can be devastating to native animals. The recent study, published in a scientific journal, found a jaw-dropping decrease in mammal numbers in the southernmost region of the Everglades where the pythons are abundant.

The raccoon population dropped 99.3 percent; opossum, 98.9 percent; deer, 94 percent; and bobcat, 87.5 percent. And the researchers found no rabbits.

It is possible disease or environmental changes are factors. But the evidence is compelling that the python is the culprit. Mammal populations in the northern section of the park, where the snakes have not become established, had not changed since surveys taken 20 years ago. In areas where the snake was just becoming established, the mammal census was noticeably down.

It is too late to eradicate the python. Mazzotti likens the recent ban to slamming the barn door after the horse has run off. But mobilizing trained professionals to remove the snakes could keep their numbers in check at a modest cost.

Mazzotti says it's critical to focus on protecting special resources, such as bird colonies, and stopping invasives from spreading to new areas.

The python horror story underscores the need for federal officials to toughen animal import regulations. An exacting risk-assessment should be done before a creature — or plant — is allowed in.

Mazzotti considers the Nile-monitor, a six-foot aquatic lizard with a ferocious bite and powerful tail, likely to be the next invasive disaster. It's established in Cape Coral. It will eat everything from bird eggs to the family pet, and its numbers are growing.

The Nile monitor, the Burmese python and many other destructive exotics are likely here to stay. But state and federal officials should make sure they remain harassed and unwelcomed guests — and that they don't get any more exotic company.