An invasive population of Burmese pythons(Python molurus bivittatus)is established across several thousand square kilometers of southern Florida and appears to have caused precipitous population declines among several...An invasive population of Burmese pythons(Python molurus bivittatus)is established across several thousand square kilometers of southern Florida and appears to have caused precipitous population declines among several species of native mammals.Why has this giant snake had such great success as an invasive species when many established reptiles have failed to spread?We scored the Burmese python for each of 15 literature-based attributes relative to predefined comparison groups from a diverse range of taxa and provide a review of the natural history and ecology of Burmese pythons relevant to each attribute.We focused on attributes linked to spread and magnitude of impacts rather than establishment success.Our results suggest that attributes related to body size and generalism appeared to be particularly applicable to the Burmese python’s success in Florida.The attributes with the highest scores were:high reproductive potential,low vulnerability to predation,large adult body size,large offspring size and high dietary breadth.However,attributes of ectotherms in general and pythons in particular(including predatory mode,energetic efficiency and social interactions)might have also contributed to invasion success.Although establishment risk assessments are an important initial step in prevention of new establishments,evaluating species in terms of their potential for spreading widely and negatively impacting ecosystems might become part of the means by which resource managers prioritize control efforts in environments with large numbers of introduced species.展开更多
A well-established population of Burmese pythons resides in the Everglades of southern Florida.Prompted in part by a report that identified much of southern USA as suitable habitat for expansion or establishment of th...A well-established population of Burmese pythons resides in the Everglades of southern Florida.Prompted in part by a report that identified much of southern USA as suitable habitat for expansion or establishment of the Burmese python,we examined the plausibility of this snake to survive winters at sites north of the Everglades.We integrated daily low and high temperatures recorded from October to February from 2005-2011 at Homestead,Orlando and Gainesville,Florida;and Aiken,South Carolina,with minimum temperatures projected for python digestion(16℃),activity(5℃)and survival(0℃).Mean low and high temperatures decreased northward from Homestead to Aiken and the number of days of freezing temperatures increased northward.Digestion was impaired or inhibited for 2 months in the Everglades and up to at least 5 months in Aiken,and activity was increasingly limited northward during these months.Reports of overwinter survivorship document that a single bout of low and freezing temperatures results in python death.The capacity for Burmese pythons to successfully overwinter in more temperate regions of the USA is seemingly prohibited because they lack the behaviors to seek refuge from,and the physiology to tolerate,cold temperatures.As tropical Southeast Asia is the source of the Everglades Burmese pythons,we predict it is unlikely that they will be able to successfully expand to or colonize more temperate areas of Florida and adjoining states due to their lack of behavioral and physiological traits to seek refuge from cold temperatures.展开更多
Florida, along with Hawaii, has among the two worst invasive species problems in the USA, and the state is espe-cially susceptible to establishment by alien reptiles. Besides the large numbers of established non-nativ...Florida, along with Hawaii, has among the two worst invasive species problems in the USA, and the state is espe-cially susceptible to establishment by alien reptiles. Besides the large numbers of established non-native reptile species in Florida, many of these species present novel difficulties for management, or have other characteristics making effective management ex-tremely challenging. Moreover, initiation of management action requires more than recognition by experts that a potentially harmful species has become established. It also requires the political will along with concomitant resources and appropriate per-sonnel to develop effective methods and apply them. We review the situation in Florida, including assessment of risk for estab- lishment, and we use a subset of prominent species to illustrate in more detail the array of invasive reptile species circumstances in Florida, including routes of introduction, impacts, and potential and implemented management actions. These examples not only highlight the severity of the invasive reptile problems in the state, but they also show the diversity in resolve and response towards them and the motivating factors [Current Zoology 57 （5）： 599-612, 2011].展开更多
基金supported by the Department of the Interior’s Office of Insular Affairsthe Vero Beach office of the US Fish and Wildlife Service+4 种基金the US Geological Survey’s Greater Everglades Priority Ecosystem Science and Invasive Species programsEverglades National Parksupported by Davidson Collegethe Associated Colleges of the Souththe J.E.and Majorie B.Pittman Foundation.
文摘An invasive population of Burmese pythons(Python molurus bivittatus)is established across several thousand square kilometers of southern Florida and appears to have caused precipitous population declines among several species of native mammals.Why has this giant snake had such great success as an invasive species when many established reptiles have failed to spread?We scored the Burmese python for each of 15 literature-based attributes relative to predefined comparison groups from a diverse range of taxa and provide a review of the natural history and ecology of Burmese pythons relevant to each attribute.We focused on attributes linked to spread and magnitude of impacts rather than establishment success.Our results suggest that attributes related to body size and generalism appeared to be particularly applicable to the Burmese python’s success in Florida.The attributes with the highest scores were:high reproductive potential,low vulnerability to predation,large adult body size,large offspring size and high dietary breadth.However,attributes of ectotherms in general and pythons in particular(including predatory mode,energetic efficiency and social interactions)might have also contributed to invasion success.Although establishment risk assessments are an important initial step in prevention of new establishments,evaluating species in terms of their potential for spreading widely and negatively impacting ecosystems might become part of the means by which resource managers prioritize control efforts in environments with large numbers of introduced species.
文摘A well-established population of Burmese pythons resides in the Everglades of southern Florida.Prompted in part by a report that identified much of southern USA as suitable habitat for expansion or establishment of the Burmese python,we examined the plausibility of this snake to survive winters at sites north of the Everglades.We integrated daily low and high temperatures recorded from October to February from 2005-2011 at Homestead,Orlando and Gainesville,Florida;and Aiken,South Carolina,with minimum temperatures projected for python digestion(16℃),activity(5℃)and survival(0℃).Mean low and high temperatures decreased northward from Homestead to Aiken and the number of days of freezing temperatures increased northward.Digestion was impaired or inhibited for 2 months in the Everglades and up to at least 5 months in Aiken,and activity was increasingly limited northward during these months.Reports of overwinter survivorship document that a single bout of low and freezing temperatures results in python death.The capacity for Burmese pythons to successfully overwinter in more temperate regions of the USA is seemingly prohibited because they lack the behaviors to seek refuge from,and the physiology to tolerate,cold temperatures.As tropical Southeast Asia is the source of the Everglades Burmese pythons,we predict it is unlikely that they will be able to successfully expand to or colonize more temperate areas of Florida and adjoining states due to their lack of behavioral and physiological traits to seek refuge from cold temperatures.
文摘Florida, along with Hawaii, has among the two worst invasive species problems in the USA, and the state is espe-cially susceptible to establishment by alien reptiles. Besides the large numbers of established non-native reptile species in Florida, many of these species present novel difficulties for management, or have other characteristics making effective management ex-tremely challenging. Moreover, initiation of management action requires more than recognition by experts that a potentially harmful species has become established. It also requires the political will along with concomitant resources and appropriate per-sonnel to develop effective methods and apply them. We review the situation in Florida, including assessment of risk for estab- lishment, and we use a subset of prominent species to illustrate in more detail the array of invasive reptile species circumstances in Florida, including routes of introduction, impacts, and potential and implemented management actions. These examples not only highlight the severity of the invasive reptile problems in the state, but they also show the diversity in resolve and response towards them and the motivating factors [Current Zoology 57 （5）： 599-612, 2011].
