I have no doubts about burmese pythons breeding in the everglades. They radio chipped a few and released them and those led them to others. They can find each other out there somehow. I do have doubts that a clutch of python eggs could survive the incubation time without being found by fire ants. Same with a lot of other egg layers- including gopher tortoise. I think some of us here are the ones who would know if there was something out there because we have done the time. I have known wildlife officers with fifteen years who have never seen a panther in their life, and I have seen them on four different occasions out there. I spent a lot of time off the paved roads. Hearing that the made for tv exploitation was a staged thing just seems to reinforce the hype is all bogus and hurtful to this hobby. There is a perception that anything is possible out there, including the skunk ape thing. There very well could be escaped cobras or gaboons but like the spitter that was just a few yards from where it escaped, the responsible party would probably hunt like hel to get them back. I don’t think a valuable snake would have to, nor would, go very far. If you’re into snake hunting out there I think you would be able to find what you were looking for, I sure couldn’t imagine they could become established. It would be hard to do intentionally, let alone by some lone accidental escape.

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