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Burmese Survival Research in FL

steelersdiehard Jan 29, 2010 08:07 AM

I recently wrote University of Florida wildlife biologist Dr. Frank Mazzotti after reading an article about research they were doing during the freeze in Florida earlier this month, Here is the link to the original article...

http://www.cnn.com/2010/US/weather/01/10/us.cold.weather/index.html

This is his response I received yesterday

"We evaluated the effects of the recent extended period of cold temperature on Burmese pythons by following the fate of pythons with radio transmitters and by conducting searches for pythons both during and especially immediately after the cold spell. We are preparing the results for rapid publication in a peer reviewed outlet and we will issue a press release with with the detailed results coincident with their publication. At the moment we can tell you that pythons both survived and died during the cold period. The cause of death was not always apparent and that is one of the areas we are still gathering information on. We believe that rapid peer reviewed publication of these results is in everyones best interest.

We are getting requests for the results from everywhere from individuals to CNN. I really want to avoid the controversy surrounding other efforts that were not exposed to external peer review. We are fortunate enough to have been in a position to know exactly what happened. I don't think anyone will be disappointed with the results.

Frank"

Replies (1)

EvilMorphgod Feb 03, 2010 06:43 AM

they have to KNOW if it died from the cold and not some other problem. They then will have to do necropsies I would suppose.

The thing that will be frustrating is if they list some of the deaths as unknown or something vague. They snakes were fine terrorizing the Everglades, eating babies and when it got cold some of them died. We are not sure why they died. Maybe it was parasites...

That would stink!

Another thing that is bad, our Government does not even look at facts or Science... that in itself leaves me in awe and is quite upsetting!

Kevin
>>Frank"
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