After Ian Bartoszek and his team spilled through murky water, climbed trees and scrambled through scrub to wrestle giant Burmese pythons for eight years, Ian Bartoszek and his team published their results in a national magazine.
Bartoszek, the Conservancy of Southwest Florida environmental science project manager, his team of wildlife biologists, in collaboration with the United States Geological Survey, published research on the longest and largest tracking study of the invasive Burmese python in the June issue of Ecosphere.
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“We just break out of cover and come out to exchange information,” said Bartoszek. “This is just a paper showing through a wide-angle lens what these adult pythons are doing in the landscape.”
The report shows the results of the research gathered while chasing 25 of the 84 pythons they were tracking via radio transmitters under the skin of these invasive reptiles. The report coincides with the Conservancy team, which recently hit a milestone of catching 20,000 pounds of Burmese pythons in the 100 square miles they oversee.
Scientists say understanding the spatial ecology of an invasive species is critical to developing effective control programs. Discovering their cherished habitat and habitat can streamline targeted removal efforts. The study began eight years ago with a python named Elvis. After its capture, the giant reptile was sent as a spy. His pursuit led biologists to nesting females, other males, and python eggs. Burmese pythons usually lead cryptic lives and hide off the beaten track in very rural areas. That made it extremely difficult to capture.
“You need this background information if you are trying to develop strategies against it,” explains Bartoszek. “We only have a few tools in the toolbox to find and remove them. This is the longest and largest study of Burmese pythons. This can help guide management strategies. This is valuable information about where they are moving, what habitats they are choosing and how much space they are choosing in southwest Florida. “
One of the most important things to learn is how best to plan a survey.
“We know that during the breeding season they select highland features,” said Bartoszek. “These are areas that can be searched more during the breeding season.”
That year, spy pythons they named Loki and Ender were the top agents taking them to remote areas where they could catch numerous pythons.
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“Loki – he led us to some really big females, through canals and shitty habitats,” described Bartoszek. “We have a 148 pound female and a couple of males. That was the easy part. The hard part was getting her back to the lab. The scouts take us off the net, sometimes on roads or tolls, but often they’re deep in the wilderness. “
About 75 percent of the 20,000 pound pythons caught during the study are females. Not only does this get these creatures out of the wild, but it also prevents them from laying eggs and increasing the population.
“I think this is a good start for us,” said Bartoszek. “But every time I get in the car and drive through the Everglades, I get discouraged. It’s a huge area. We are working on one area and we see another area gaining ground. It’s a bit frustrating. “
In the laboratory, the pythons are either euthanized in a species-appropriate manner or equipped with a transmitter and sent as a spy.
The study, which was conducted on public wildlife sanctuaries at Rookery Bay National Estuarine Research Reserve, Collier Seminole State Park, Picayune Strand State Forest, and adjacent private land, taught scientists that men have a home area of approximately 2.6 square miles while Women have the home area is 1.1 square kilometers.
Kristen Hart, research ecologist at USGS, is also the author of the paper. She said the information sharing and collaboration between the Conservancy and the USGS has helped tremendously.
“You really did such a hard job,” Hart said. “Our strength is the analysis part. We understood what all the location data meant. “
The numbers clearly show Hart and other researchers how best to manage this invasive species.
“I think there are clearly areas in the highlands that are used by the females,” said Hart. “When and where pythons are in the egg-laying state, these areas can definitely be searched for and prioritized.”
University of Florida studies identified 24 species of mammals, 44 species of birds, and two species of reptiles were found in pythons.
“Every time we do an autopsy, most snakes over 12 feet have the remains of white-tailed deer,” added Bartoszek. “We feel like we’re playing CSI-Tatort in the laboratory.”
This illustrates how pythons deprive native predators of food, causing a significant decline in wildlife populations and putting pressure on the ecosystem.
The work is exhausting and often tricky. The team was recently called in to catch a 15.5-foot female who was 12 feet tall in a tree that hung over the water. Bartoszek climbed the tree while his partner waited below to grab the creature as it fell.
“It feels like a compulsory outing every season. It feels like special forces here, ”said Bartoszek.
Most of the time, the captured reptile is more than a mile from its truck. The men learned that it is easier to carry the creature on your shoulders than in a bag.
“We donated a lot of blood and sweat for this project,” said Bartoszek. “It’s very physical, very mental. It’s a very stressful job. It’s hard earned. We want to stick with it because we know what this is about. “
Hart agrees. “In this battle for our pythons, we are all trying to find out their biology and their distance,” said Hart.
The Burmese python is a large, non-venomous strangler snake that was introduced to southwest Florida in the late 1990s. It is native to Southeast Asia. Bartoszek believes the problem began with deliberate releases, escapes, and natural disasters like Hurricane Andrew in 1992, which outlined reptile sites and allowed the creatures to escape into the wild.
“It’s like a virus that is spreading, and there are multiple vaccination sites,” said Bartoszek.
The report does not signal the end of the study. This will go on indefinitely.
For Hart and the USGS, the next step is to add the Pythons accelerometers, very high activity sensors.
“It’s like the technology in a Wii,” said Hart.
The new technology will allow scientists to collect more complex data.
“It collects data in three dimensions at once per second,” Hart described. “We hope that we can determine whether they are eating or whether they are striking. It takes consistent, persistent work on these animals to really find them out. It’s a really long-term relationship. “
The Conservancy is also continuing its studies.
“We will follow the science on this topic and see where it leads us,” said Bartoszek. “We will follow science so that it can inform land managers and decision-makers to pursue this important topic of our time”.
He hopes the study will one day give scientists an estimate of how many Burmese pythons could live in the wild. Bartoszek emphasized that native snakes are good for the environment. He also stressed that people should not be afraid of the Burmese pythons. They don’t hunt people. They just chase their prey.
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“I’m more afraid of driving my field truck around during the season than wrestling with snakes,” he said. “We have great respect for this animal. They are pretty great creatures. You didn’t do anything wrong. They escaped the pet trade. We know we will never get them all. “
While Bartoszek admits that the job is stressful, tiring, and tough, he loves his job and plans to keep it going for as long as possible.
“I’m a wildlife biologist and the ability to track and learn the behavior of an animal that is still unknown is a novelty today,” he said. “It seems like everything has been sorted out today. This is a new task. We see something new every season. We’re not in for the bounty, we’re not in for the money, we’re in because we’ve realized it’s important. Where else can you wrestle some type of lace in a pocket and then go out and do it all over again? It really challenges you. It’s really logistical. We’re on an adventure. “
REPORT SOMETHING
To report an invasive species sighting, the public is asked to call 1-888-IVE-GOT1 or report via the IveGot1 mobile app. More information is available at www.conservancy.org
FACTS
- Burmese pythons can grow up to 20 feet long in the wild
- The average height in Florida is 8-10 feet
- They come from Southeast Asia
- In cool months they are active during the day
- They can be seen on the streets at night when it is warm
- Females lay 12-95 eggs each year. In southwest Florida, the average size is 42 eggs.
- In Florida, they cannot be purchased as personal pets
- * Source The Conservancy of Southwest Florida and FWC
See similar https://www.marconews.com/story/news/2021/06/23/conservancy-southwest-florida-studies-invasive-pythons-movements/5321606001/
The post Conservancy of Southwest Florida studies the movements of invasive pythons first appeared on Daily Florida Press.
from Daily Florida Press https://dailyfloridapress.com/conservancy-of-southwest-florida-studies-the-movements-of-invasive-pythons/
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