Reptile & Amphibian Forums

The cold front that is moving through the southeast this week is exactly the kind of temperate climate instability that was never accounted for by the "experts" at USGS. If they had bothered to look at historical climate data, or better yet, not hide the fact, their study would move into complete irrelevancy. These classic temperate zone weather patterns occur several times every decade and will most definitely limit the range of the few existing feral pythons to extreme southern Florida.

Kelly

Thank you! I live in Georgia and its been in the teens for the last few nights, with the highs below or right at freezing. Show me a burm that can survive that. The weather reports say up to a week below freezing.

new about the SREL Burmese study in Aiken? I've been watching their temps on my phone for awhile now, and I'm really curious if there are any updates on the condition of the Burmese Pythons in that study? With Day highs not much above freezing, I can't imagine those poor burms are doing that well.

Ben

I inquired and was told that details could not be given until teh report is published. I was told that they are being given NO additional heat but are offered multiple hibernaculum of differing depths.
Whether I believe this or not, given the links to the authors of the USGS scientifically flawed report and the recent big 9 constrictors report, I cannot say.
Warren
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Dr Warren Booth / Director USARK
North Carolina State University
Department of Entomology

I think it's funny how this study is closed to the public, whom it affects. Why isn't there more than one study at more than one sight being done, by more than one NONBIASED party? We're supposed to sit back and trust the people who want to take away our freedom. It's not hard to find normal Burms, and its not like our Government is always completely honest. I'm sure they can perform this little study with no problem, the government does evrything else so well, and honestly.(sorry I couldn't find the sarcasm font)

I agree, but unfortunately it is not as simple as that. Funding being one, paperwork being another, a suitable pot of land, suitable enclosed being another, and finallythe equipment and researchers being another. I have no doubt something will be done. I needs to be and it needs to include the 9 listed snakes on the USGS paper. Replicates need to be performed across the "proposed" range of the spread.

Warren
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Dr Warren Booth / Director USARK
North Carolina State University
Department of Entomology

The fact the government doesn't have the funding to do an "actual study", says something about how rediculous this really is. They throw money away on far more useless and rediculous things. Maybe they should just look at the facts that are already in front of them. I've never seen a wild burm in Georgia. I doubt there are any.(especially now ,twenty something degrees for the last week). They aren't here because they can't survive. I'm sure in the last 50 years, that at least a few have escaped or been set free,north of south Florida. They just don't survive.

http://www.aikenstandard.com/Local/0619SnakePit

Link to the SREL study.

I'd be very interested to know about the "hibernaculum of differing depths". Are the pythons sealed in or are these open to the air? Do Burms have much of any sense about regulation once they get cold? Did the researchers also offer secure hides above ground? I know ball pythons will take security over a survivable temp any day so if the Burms are using the holes it might be just because they didn't offer them a cold Buick trunk to crawl under and freeze back in October. Is there a pond (now frozen)? I have less (but some) experience with Burms than balls but maybe like the ball who will pick security the Burm will pick water over the sort of hides modern snakes evolved to use that enabled our native snakes to expand into the temperate zone. I'm just not sure a tropical snake offered a full range of terrain would have the thermoregulation instincts to pick the deepest and least drafty hole the researchers dug.

I see zip code 29808 is calling for a low of 14 deg F on Sunday. Long stretch of very cool temps including several days with the mean below 32. Are they really checking on them every day and if so if they are already dead will they end the study and report?

Can anyone find a satellite view of the study site? Are there tracks in the snow, lol?

I looked up the weather for Burma/Myanmar and of the 24 cities reported it was from a high of 91 to a very low of 74. This is in the natural range of Burmese pythons right now today in winter. Those pythons outside in south Carolina are dead. I imagine most of them in Florida are too.

In line with my perverse way of thinking:

I know it's not terribly likely that 100% of the Everglades pythons will be dead when next it warms up (late this week?) but maybe the test site researchers are waiting to see. It would be really embarrassing if all the feral Burms died but all the study ones lived much further north and much colder.

I fully expect many of the feral Burms in the everglades to die from this extended cold the ENP has been exposed to. I can see them surviving a few days of sub 40 temps but not 10 days.
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1.0 Albino American alligator, "Smoke"
1.1 American alligator,"Al Bite Ya & Molly"
1.1 Purple Albino Reticulated Pythons, "Gumbo & Abita"
0.1 Eastern Gaboon Viper, "Gabbie" Recently passed away at 24 years old

I am not directly familiar with the extreme lows these pythons would encounter in their traditional range. If it gets this cold there, then they can survive it. If it doesn’t, then they probably won’t survive it here. The iguanas are literally dropping out of tree’s here in Ft. Lauderdale. If they land in water, they drown and die. Most that survive this cold will probably die in a few weeks from the effects of this near freeze. Our alligators and crocodiles can survive because they know what to do and have just enough tolerance to be here in the first place. That tolerance is what prevents crocs from spreading any further north than they ever did. Same with the iguanas will be same for burms. If irresponsible pet owners are responsible for the burms and iguanas here, it stands to reason these animals have been released by irresponsible pet owners anywhere and everywhere they have ever been available, which is everywhere. Anywhere these animals have not established themselves is an indication that they are unable to. There is certainly the likelihood that they will be totally vulnerable to predation until they recover from their stupor. It is very likely this cold wave down here will fragment the existing population to the point of functionally moot. I haven’t seen it this cold here since 1978. If that’s as often as we get this kind of deep cold wave, they could possibly survive to establish a small population in extreme south Florida everglades, but they could never expand much north of here. No way.

I was born here in Florida and have NEVER seen a cold spell of this duration. It is shockingly cold here and has been for the last 8-10 days and will continue another 4 days at least. The duration is what proves lethal. Their saying that perhaps tonight may get down to the high 20's [28-29 degrees]in Homestead where I am. I believe that 100 % of the Iguanas who do not have underground burrows will die after tonight. There won't be a thaw out as sometimes in the short cold spells. Also I don't think the feral Pythons are going to fare well tonight....
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Tom Crutchfield
www.tomcrutchfield.com

Dead like fried chicken, there is no way the Burms in SC will make it and if the temperatures have been that low in Florida for that length of time then they are also gone.