In your initial post you do not specifically state that Burmese pythons or adult Crocodylus acutus occur in brackish, estuarine or marine environments - you assume the reader can fill in the details and that the reader has some knowledge of these animals in their native environs. I don't know if that is a fair assumption and I think it creates a strawman argument for you to take down - "Who would be stupid enough to see if Burmese pythons can drink salt-water?" These are the same types of statements that you would skewer the "scientists" and "media" for making - incomplete and easily taken out of context. If you are going to make an assertion, complete the idea. The statement that "A guy named Tamer Ellis did that experiment with C. acutus back in the 70's and even baby native crocs die in pure salt water. Mazzotti is well aware of that as I suspect you are." implies that crocs, even baby crocs die in pure salt water (and that Frank Mazzotti should know this, if that is in fact what he is trying to demonstrate). It is not at all clear that adult corcs can survive in hypersaline environments. Nor does it address the presence of Burmese pythons in brackish, estuarine and marine environments in their natural range. Nothing taken out of context - your strawman argument is just not sound.


The currents are strongest during tide changes; not attributable to the Florida Current. Also if you look at the Florida Current as a means of transport, it would be conceivable, perhaps, to transport an animal via that current to the Keys from Southwest Florida. I wouldn't say probable, but certainly not out of the realm of reality for a very lucky individual or two.

The impact of hurricanes on the relocation of flora and fauna is also ignored in this context - it is conveniently included with respect to introducing Burmese, but left out in any conversation discussing any outward spread of Burmese. Not that this is any more likely than any other reasonable scenario.

Perhaps the media came up with the pythons traveling down US-1 on their own - maybe due to a lack of imagination (in this one instance). Refuting the US-1 route of migration theory is pretty easy and creates another strawman argument. Is this the sole route of migration or are others possible, perhaps some that are a bit more realistic? Pythons have been found in the area of the Key Largo and towards Ocean Reef along Card Sound Road. The idea of them making it as far as Key Largo is not unrealistic. I wouldn't make a projection about anything further than that.

I really have some difficulty watching many of these "educational" programs, because they are more about entertainment than education. They tend to reward the making of extravagant claims over more understated premises that usually form the basis of much of science.

You guys sound like bureaucrats or politicians: admit nothing, deny everything and make counter accusations.

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