All of the Burmese pythons found in the Florida Keys may not have been released pets, a new study says.
The unwanted snakes — South Florida's poster reptile for the dangers of exotic pets — apparently have the ability to swim across Florida Bay from the Everglades.
The study conducted by researchers with the U.S. Geological Survey shows pythons can tolerate saltwater for limited periods, likely long enough to swim to new territory.
"It was hoped that saltwater would naturally hinder pythons' ability to expand their range beyond the Everglades," said lead researcher Kristen Hart, a USGS ecologist. "Unfortunately, our results suggest saltwater alone cannot act as a reliable barrier to the Everglades python population."
That means the big snakes may invade nearby islands — such the Florida Keys, she said.
Pythons can grow to more than 12 feet long; specimens up to 10 feet have been found in the Keys.
One of the first pythons discovered in the protected hammocks of North Key Largo was found in 2007 when it swallowed an endangered Key Largo woodrat that was tagged with a radio tracker. The radio tracker was inside the snake.
In November, a seven-foot python startled German tourists walking to their car at a Key Colony Beach residence.
"We don't keep track of numbers but we've been called out numerous times for pythons," said Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission Officer Bobby Dube, an agency spokesman in Monroe County.
That pythons occasionally turn up in the Keys cannot be disputed.
However, how the big snakes get here remains an open question. Were they all released or escaped pets — or did some reach the Keys on their own?
"Reptiles, in general, have poor salinity tolerance," Hart said.
To see if pythons could make their way in saltwater, the USGS team conducted an experiment using python hatchlings taken from the Everglades, where the species has taken hold amid the freshwater and brackish wetlands.
Young snakes exposed to nothing but saltwater survived for a month. Those with access to brackish water survived up to five months.
Researchers said it appears larger snakes, which have access to rainwater to drink, "could persist even longer in saltwater environments."
"This study demonstrates the distinct possibility that pythons could spread to new suitable habitats one estuary at a time," Geological Survey Director Marcia McNutt said. "The fact that this study has ruled out one of the most hoped-for forms of physical barriers, saltwater, as preventing the spread of invasive pythons in Florida puts even more onus on human action to prevent the spread of these damaging reptiles."
An agency spokeswoman said there is no evidence that pythons have established a breeding population in the Keys.
Florida lawmakers in 2007 tightened regulations for people who want to own pythons. Previously, young pythons could be bought cheaply at pet stores.
From 2000 to 2010, Everglades National Park staff reports nearly 1,700 pythons were removed from the protected wetlands.
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