Reptile & Amphibian Forums

will take a big hit this week. It's going to drop into the low 40's to high 30's every night until next Mon here. This will be the coldest weather we've had here for many decades in terms of duration. Usually we only have one or two cold night's annually but this is going to last a week!! In Miami this morning Cuban Anoles and small Iguana's were lying on the ground after getting so cold they fell out of the trees. My guess is that the population of feral Burmese will be decimated by this extended cold. They simply can NOT survive prolonged periods of weather like this. The ones that survive will likely develop RI infections later and even more will die...So much for the Python problem...The wild feral cats however will do quite well...LOL
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Tom Crutchfield
www.tomcrutchfield.com

Does anyone know of an authoritative publication which states that Burmese pythons will "freeze" to death or develop fatal respiratory infections and die when exposed to temperatures below a certain threshold?

I've heard it so many times that I just tend to accept it as common knowledge that temperatures below 60 degrees for any extended period of time will cause respiratory tract infections in Burms. I've also heard that respiratory tract infections in Burms tend to be fatal as they don't pull out of them too well, even with treatment.

I'd love to be able to use this scenario; the deep freeze (... er... cooling) of South Florida and work it into a scenario where we use scientific literature to make the case that an enormous number of Burmese pythons in the Everglades are now dead or dying and anything north of that lattitude is dead as well.

Anyone?

Thanks!

jb
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What's written above is purely my opinion. In fact, MOST of what you read on the internet is someone's opinion. Don't take it too seriously

Jonathan Brady
DeviantConstrictors.com
Deviant Constrictors picturetrail

That is a very good idea! I like your line of thinking. Jeff

I think there is enough detritus and rotting vegataion that produces heat much like a compost pile that these animals will survive for a short time with no health issues.

Exposed completely to those cold temperatures will certainly kill them but pythons are masters at finding heat.

Just my opinion
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Joel Thomas

Don't tread on me!

You are right under ordinary circumstances BUT we have been those temps the last 5 days and will continue to be until at least next Tues and therein lies the problem. It's the duration of the cold that is a problem not the temps. It's a HUGE problem even with heated retreats here much less in situ....
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Tom Crutchfield
www.tomcrutchfield.com

i agree its suppossed to be in the 30's for the next7 days. and no higher than 60 .so dothe math
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All about the U!!!!

Tom, I was thinking the same thing. The coldest temperatures are always close to the ground as well. A big snake will take a long time to warm back up so RI will be a distinct possibility for any that survive the cold.

There only possibility for survival would be if they burrow down into decaying detritous.. Kind of like gators do.... Im not sure if this is a behaviour associated with Burmese pythons.... But seeing how this is more than just a cold snap.... I would think this would deal a fatal blow to the Burmese population....

Who ever knew extreme weather would turn out to be helpful
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Marc Duhon
Lafayette, Louisiana
SURINAMBOAS.COM
kaiyudsai@SURINAMBOAS.COM

>>There only possibility for survival would be if they burrow down into decaying detritous.. Kind of like gators do.... Im not sure if this is a behaviour associated with Burmese pythons.... But seeing how this is more than just a cold snap.... I would think this would deal a fatal blow to the Burmese population....
>>
>>Who ever knew extreme weather would turn out to be helpful
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Marc,

It can only be helpful if someone provides and publicizes evidence of what we all know will happen. If no one looks for and then shows evidence of the pythons dying, we'll be in no better of a position than before. In addition, we'll have nothing to counter the SC experiment if those pythons magically survive.

>>will take a big hit this week. It's going to drop into the low 40's to high 30's every night until next Mon here. This will be the coldest weather we've had here for many decades in terms of duration. Usually we only have one or two cold night's annually but this is going to last a week!! In Miami this morning Cuban Anoles and small Iguana's were lying on the ground after getting so cold they fell out of the trees. My guess is that the population of feral Burmese will be decimated by this extended cold. They simply can NOT survive prolonged periods of weather like this. The ones that survive will likely develop RI infections later and even more will die...So much for the Python problem...The wild feral cats however will do quite well...LOL
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Tom,

But you do know that the burms up in the South Carolina "experiment" are lounging right now in their heated "hibernacula" with cucumbers on their eyes and daily massages while outside temps dip down into the teens.

I enquired about the current status of this study and its animals yesterday. I was told the current status could not be reported. I was also told that no artificial heat will be provided throughout the course of the study, however animals wll be offered hibernaculums of various depths.
Whether I believe that I do not know given the relation of the researchers to the USGS group.
Warren
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Dr Warren Booth / Director USARK
North Carolina State University
Department of Entomology

>>I enquired about the current status of this study and its animals yesterday. I was told the current status could not be reported. I was also told that no artificial heat will be provided throughout the course of the study, however animals wll be offered hibernaculums of various depths.
>>Whether I believe that I do not know given the relation of the researchers to the USGS group.
>>Warren
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>>Dr Warren Booth / Director USARK
>>North Carolina State University
>>Department of Entomology
>>

Dr. Booth,

Thanks for the update. Given the circumstances and a polite, personal e-mail exchange I had with one of the professors in charge of the study, I don't think they have *any* credibility. Hence my sarcasm.

In all seriousness, has USARK considered conducting (or commissioning a third party to conduct) a similar experiment? If the guys in charge of the current experiment are on the up and up, I would think they would welcome another group to try to reproduce their results.

Thanks,
Ed

it is known in the scientific community that any proven theory must be able to be reproduced to be accepted. On a side note, i've met and discussed herps with dr. gibbons and hopefully I will be able to talk with him in the next couple days to see how this "experiment" is comming.
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Josh & Krysty Hutto

Various Ball Pythons, boas, dogs, cats, fish, a couple sulcatas and a few other odds and ends.

a BAD dog is MADE not bred, support the American Pit Bull Terrier as the greatest breed of dogs on Earth!!!!!

Thanks for this post Tom.
Are you keeping an eye on things for us as far as documenting anything you find? I have been trying to explain to the Jacka$$ up here in South Carolina who threw 10 burms in a death camp. They have taken all kinds of things out of the eqasion(they feed them,they provided dens and water) but there is no way with our 20 degree temps the last week that these burms are surviving without some heat source which I would not be surprised if they where providing just to push the experiment in the direction they want it to go...
They strategically placed the burm death camp right next to a nuclear power plant so you can bet the temperatures of the ground are a little warmer just from that.

Again Tom thanks for the post. Hopefully I can stop by in March when we come down to hunt again, already working out my permit again, this years is supposed to be just Florida residents, but they are making special previsions for those of us who made the drive last year.