Burmese Pythons Cause Drastic Mammal Declines in Florida's Everglades
Burmese pythons, introduced to Florida's Everglades primarily through the exotic pet trade, have established a breeding population and are causing significant declines in native mammal populations. Since the mid-1980s, these invasive snakes have spread throughout large parts of the Everglades. A study based on over 35,000 miles of surveys, reported by the American Association for the Advancement of Science (AAAS), revealed dramatic decreases in mammal sightings since the late 1990s. Raccoons have fallen by 99.3%, opossums by 98.9%, and bobcats by 87.5%. Rabbits have virtually disappeared from some surveyed areas. These declines are most severe in areas where pythons have been established the longest, indicating a direct correlation between the snakes' presence and the reduction in native wildlife. The pythons are opportunistic hunters, consuming a wide range of mammals, birds, and reptiles, and native species have little evolutionary defense against them. 
