That Reptile Blog – Reptile, Amphibian and Exotic Pet Care and Information

At least 45 species of non-native reptiles and amphibians have established breeding populations in Florida.  The most notorious of these, the Burmese Python, Python bivittatus, has been much in the news in recent years.  Recently, however, another of the state’s introduced giant constrictors grabbed the headlines.

Uploaded to Wikipedia Commons by Tigerpython

On Sept. 10, 2013, a Northern African Rock Python, P. sebae, killed a 60 pound husky in a suburban yard near the Everglades.  While much has been made of the threats posed by large constrictors, what interested me most about this incident was the fact that the snake involved was quite small by Rock Python standards.  Despite being only 10 foot long and 38 pounds in weight, the snake was able to overcome and kill a 60 pound dog.

Based on my experiences with large constrictors in the Bronx Zoo and the wild, I would guess that the attack was defensive in nature.  The only 60 pound snake meal I’ve witnessed (a White-tailed Deer) involved a 17 foot long, 215 pound Green Anaconda…and its huge body appeared stretched to its limit. Read More »

 A recent article in the journal IRCF Reptiles and Amphibians (V17, 1) provides evidence that the African Rock Python (Northern African Python, Python sebae), may have established a breeding population in southern Florida.  The huge constrictors are adapted to take small antelopes and other large animals, and have been killed and consumed people in their native habitat.

Florida’s Introduced Constrictors

At least 45 species of non-native reptiles and amphibians have established breeding populations in Florida; many others have been observed but are not known to be reproducing.  Among these are 2 of the world’s largest snakes, the Burmese Python and the Boa Constrictor.  Other large constrictors, including the Green Anaconda, Yellow Anaconda and White-Lipped Python, have been found at large in Florida.  Read More »