Invasive Species, Burmese Python

The Burmese python is native to east and southeast Asia. It has been introduced to Puerto Rico and Southern Florida by pet releases and escapes. It "threatens native species of amphibians, birds, lizards, snakes, and bats introduced ranges by predation, competition, and disease transmission....In Puerto Rico there are concerns that the Burmese python may out-compete the two native boa species: the Puerto Rican boa and the Mona Island boa, which are smaller in size than the Burmese python." In addition to Puerto Rico, the pythons are also found in Everglades National Park in Florida, where “over 2,000 pythons have been removed from the park and surrounding areas since 2002-likely representing only a fraction of the total population."