I know when I have a question about an animals biology the first person I run to is a geologist...

The USGS has been pushing the invasive burmese issue in Florida for quite some time, and it can be assumed they have had a hand in pushing the USFW RFI as well. For anyone to even remotely suggest that burmese pythons could survive, much less propagate, in the arid deserts of the Southwestern border, shows that their conclusions are seriously flawed and not based on the known biology of the species.

In regards to the SF Chronicle article, it appears to have been done somewhat tongue in cheek to say the least. I would recommend that readers keep that in mind if they choose to respond. I don't feel that the author actually believes what the USGS is trying to sell either, or the article would have been much less humorous, and it wouldn't have used such a flawed data set or factless news release as supporting documentation.

That said, the USGS is a serious issue and their statement needs to be addressed and the flaws in their map, their projections, and their statement need to be shown for what they are.

This does show that there are serious forces aligned against boa and python keepers, and certainly in the long run we are in for more than just a response to an information request.

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