Reptile & Amphibian Forums

I just stumbled upon this article; it seems to go a bit more into detail as to their program of trapping and studying them in the ft. myers area. Can you believe that there might be over 1000 of them living down there?? Incredible. BUt then again, FLorida is the land of introduced species, not only animals, but plants too. One of florida's biggest invasive, introduced pests is the brazilian pepper. This was intentionally brought in to "dry up" the swamplands of florida, to make it inhabitable. Nowadays, florida is experiencing severe droughts, and water shortages. It's rather depressing as to all of the ecological catastrophies that we are responsible for. Sure, our gardens might look beautiful, but the native flora and fauna are suffering...

bm
Link

How is one guy killing 13 Nile Monitors going to stop a thriving Nile population explosion in Cape Coral? - Sounds like animal cruelty and a lost cause to me. I mean I have european ethnics, I live in Chicago, should I be executed? The damage is done florida, learn to live with your new neighbor, The Nile Monitor!

Thanks a lot for posting that link. Folks should read the article. While there's very little likelihood of monitors establishing in the mainland U.S. anywhere outside of S. Florida, this is the sort of thing that threatens importation and possession, potentially nationally.

If you've lost a monitor in your house, you can imagine how much luck the animal control types will have with this situation. I'd be willing to be that within ten years they're established throughout Florida S of Lake Okeechobee.

It is interesting how they are thriving so well. That area is full of houses and not natural looking by any means. There is spots and areas with wide open country but they are mainly talking about them being near canals, on roofs, eating dog's etc.. It is not exactly that warm up that way all year long either. But yet they manage even with night drops of low 40's and even upper 30's. haha it is those temps. that keep me down farther south.

I would becareful what you read into it. How would they come up with there numbers???

Your right there are a ton of non natives here from people to animals to plants.

I am amazed at the colonizing powers of animals and plants here in the us, not even necessarily florida. While I was living in florida, I whitnessed many different introduced species; ie. cuban tree frogs, brown anoles, curly tailed lizards, a plethora of different bird species, ants, nasty looking wasps, and fish. However, now that I am up here in NY, you would think that there wouldn't be too many tropical animals introduced up here. Amazingly, right here in my town, there is a colony of Quaker parrots, whose numbers are probably around 40-50 birds, who are thriving; how they survive the torrid winters up here, I don't know... Another introduced species that is thriving here on long island is the Italian Wall Lizard, which is a little, colorful lacertid. They happened to trace this species' releasal into the wild back to non-pet related origin. Interestingly, these guys hitched a ride among shipping crates delivered from italy and the mediteranian. The town adjacent to mine, is a predominantly Italian neighborhood, and the lizards were introduced there(Westbury). I believe that it was found that they were introduced back in the 70's. Now, their range has spread about fifteen miles in each direction. There is also one other population of these lizards in the US, located in the suburbs of philadelphia. These two species(quakers and wall lizards) arent' proving to be as catastrophic to the enviornment up here, like the large carnivourous pests of ft myers.

I can see that the nile monitor population does pose a serious threat, but as do the dozens, if not hundreds of introduced species already plaguing florida. Personally I think that the invasive plant species which literally suck up water will be a larger threat to both the wildlife of florida, as for its human residents. The state of florida needs to get their act together environmentally. The one thing that really pissed me off about florida's lack of concern or care for their native wildlife was that they do not require any emissions testing on automobiles, so every other car down there is spewing all kinds of pollutants into the environment, because they simply don't "have to" invest in a new muffler, in fact, they don't even need mufflers...

Sorry to go off topic a bit, but Florida's lack of endemic species protection really gets to me. I don't think that there is any other state in the US that has such a diverse selection of native species..especially when it comes to herps. You would think that they would do something constructive, but, instead of working out the serious problems, they spend their time catching a dozen or so of these "beasts" and killing them. Oh well, enough venting....

bm

Sorry to go off topic a little bit,

Venting is good it cleanses the soul.

I hear ya. It is crazy down here but people here are into other things then enviroment and animals. To bad they didn't realize that what they are here for also goes hand in hand with what they think is not important.

I also agree the plants are probly one of the worse of the evils down here. Second to humans of course. But humans are a plague to most things we touch so thats nothing new, and cannot be escaped.

I have no doubt the niles will thrive here and fit in, but it is highly unlikely in our lifetime that they will take over FL. if that was to happen then we would already be over run by the other species that have been introduced here long ago.

But then again maybe someone once said that about the brown tree snakes.

they also introduced Australian Melaleuca to the Everglades in an attempt to soak up water. I was happy to see that the Casuarinas in Big Cypress took a hammering after Hurricane Andrew when I visited a year or two afterwards, though. Not as damaging as the Melaleuca, but they just didn't look 'right' there!

Is this melaleuca the same as the Australian Pine? The Australian pine was another introduced plant that was "Strategically" planted to help soak up the swamplands. Now, it is taking over the habitat that indigenous pines would be occupying. They now line just about every major interstate and highway in florida, and use up a messload of water. Don't forget the water lettuce and water hyacinths too.. They are clogging up the springs and waterways, since they are extremely invasive. It's rather sad...

bm

the 'pine' you are referring to is probably Casuarina, also known as the she-oak.

Melaleuca, I believe, is more of a water absorber. Depending on species, they are usually known as paperbarks or tea-trees. The leaves, when crushed, have distinctive smell reminiscent of eucalyptus, but different.

**sigh***
You have to love the media. Here they paint the nile as a monster. They just go on and on with no real understanding of what they are talking about. They do exactly the same thing when a plane crashes. As a pilot, I can tell you that what they speculate on is 90% bull derived from the 10% fact taken out of context from some local yokel pilot. What is really scary is that now the lemmings of Cape Coral will now only see the monster that they have painted. I really liked the part about aligators being on the meal list. Well, good. Something needs to control the gator population down there. I mean given the choice of a nile or a gator in the swimming pool, well that's a no brainer. As for cats and dogs disappering, I just don't think that they would be suitable pray for these guys. I could be wrong. Also, they said nothing about how nile's instinct, like most monitor species, first response to humans is to run. A gator on the other hand is think mmm lunch. Oh well, just another reason not to like the media . I'll get off my soap box now.

They in fact do eat hatchling and young gators as well Nile crocs where they come from. They are well known to kill and eat domesticated cats and dogs if offered the chance to, in Africa theyve taken over trash dumps. Dont look at what a hatchling or small nile in a 55 gallon aquarium can do, look at an adult animal thats hungry or defensive, I saw pictures of 2 examples, a friend of mine had a nile 7ft long named "tut" that broke a dobermans front legs tail whipping, and a guy I used to work with mother had over 60 stitches on her arm from one bite while she was feeding a 6ft nile. The over 80 eggs thing isnt close (maybe over 40-50) and theres alot of other crap in that article but dont underestimate the animal.

I wasn't trying to underestimate them, but trying to point out some of the exagerations made and that almost all of them were negative comments, like a cornered one could bite a kid, well so will the neighborhood stray dog in the same situation. I'm not even going to address the whole dog thing after the huge thread that it generated . I personally don't have a nile, so I may be off the mark, but what is the largest pray that nile keepers would offer their monitor? I can see maybe cats and small dogs, but medium to large dogs just don't seem to me to be suitable pray for these guys, it would be just a defensive action. I don't see this as a concern for these people, as the gator would take better care of the stray cat/dog population. So, why are they so concerned? Getting back to my point of would you rather a gator or a nile monitor in your swimming pole. I personally think that the monitors in Florida are a good thing. They need something to get the gator population in check, the monitors will help. If they take over trash dumps, good no more rats. Juvi"nile" niles can even help out with the big raoches they got. lol. I understand what these guys can do and the respect they command. Now that I've probabaly ticked off some ecologist by cheering on the ferrol species, I must go and build a new home for my rapidly growing argus (2.5" of growth in 3 weeks and growing) .

but there are wholes in it. It may take awhile but the effects will not only be on dog's, cat's, and gators. You'd have to understand the balance of things. If you throw a rock in the pond does it not ripple and diturb the water? Even if it is a small seemingly harmless rock it still disrupts the balance of things.

The gators are not as over abundant as you may think, it is more the people are and the water sources are dropping. with this going on they travel into human territory.

Look at the entire picture rather then just the person sitting, or you'll miss whats in the background.

I know that, that's why I put the ecologist remark in there. I'm just venting because I didn't agree on how they are handling the situation and how the nile was portrayed by the media. I am curious to what degree this will impact Florida. How big could the distribution actually get and how many native species will be affected? I don't think we see an impact like Austrailia has seen with it's ferrol species eg Cane toads, pigs, camels... I do realize that there will be an impact and something probably needs to be done. I just think that maybe there is another route for them to take other than just rounding them up and killing them.

Well if they stopped imorting them for awhile we could find homes for them, But seeing as that won't happen what else is there to do with them???

marine toads are playing havec here already, iguanas, cuban tree frogs, cuban anoles, etc. etc. Sometimes what the affect is us and thats when we feel it right away, but others it is just some small insect, or something else that is easily overlooked. But eventually that catches up to us as well.

If the numbers stay in check and they are controlled then little harm will come from it. I find it hard to believe there is that high of a number.

Your right the media sucks and they always bad mouth the wrong individual. It should really read Humans are at fault for allowing this to happen. But who knows maybe someone house was hit by a hurricane and a pair of niles escaped.

it is not like the monkey's now living in silver springs we know how and who released them. noone is fessing up about the niles.

You fly?!?!?.... So do I! What do you fly?

I usually fly Cessna 150/152 and Cessna 172's sometimes I rent a piper when I want a change but my favorite for local flying is the 152. Wonder of my argus would like a lift