In that case why don't we see, say, cottonmouths in Ontario? Or indigo snakes in Ohio? After all, it's only an adaptation, right?

The truth is that, while it's true that any species/family has a certain amount of genetic plasticity, there are definite limits-both in the degree to which they can adapt to new environments, and (more important in this case), the TIME (number of generations) it would take to achieve that degree of adaptation (if possible at all).

The degree of adaptation to severe winter climates which you are suggesting is highly unlikely in a tropical reptile of any kind-particularly a boid of such great body size. In the unlikely event it WERE possible, we are talking a minimum of hundreds or thousands of generations.

The fact that we saw about 50% mortality in the S. Florida population, (when exposed to low temperatures which, while severe for that area, are relatively commonplace just a couple hundred miles north),indicates that the northern limit for the species will likely fall somewhere in the southern half of peninsular Florida.
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Brad Chambers
WWW.HCU-TX.ORG

Breeder of:
Green Tree Pythons
Jungle Carpet Pythons
Pastel, Pinstripe, FIRE, Piebald, Clown, Lavender Albino, Leucistic, and Spider Ball Pythons
Striped Colombian Boa Constrictors
Kenyan, Rufescens, and Conicus Sand Boas
Red Phase Western Hognose Snakes
Spider Western Hognose Snakes
Albino Western Hognose Snakes
Locality Trans-Pecos Mexican Hognose Snakes
Southern Hognose Snakes
Eastern Hognose Snakes
Tricolor Hognose Snakes
Hypo Checkered Garter Snakes
Eastern Blackneck Garter Snakes
Stillwater Hypo Bullsnakes
Patternless Bullsnakes
S. GA Eastern Kingsnakes
Locality Desert Kingsnakes
Albino Desert Kingsnakes
Hypo Desert Kingsnakes
Mexican Black Kingsnakes
Desert Phase, Striped Desert, Newport, and Coastal California Kingsnakes
Locality Mexican Milksnakes
Spotted Mexican Milksnakes
Tangerine Mexican Milksnakes
Locality Alterna
Abbott Okeetee Cornsnakes
Mexican Baird's Ratsnakes
Cape Housesnakes
Tangerine Albino African Fat -Tailed Geckos
Locality Spotted Turtles

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