How would you halt the spread of Burmese Pythons in the US?

haulagebasher wrote: »

How about engineering some sort of pathogen like a virus or whatever that specifically targets that blood line of the species. Make it with a lethal time that is linger than the animals breeding cycle to ensure transmission is ensured. You could also spread the virus over wide areas using aircraft.A bit like myxamatosis was used to kill off rabbits in Austrailia in the 50's but new biotech these days would eneable us to engineer a far more deadly pathogen.

Yeah makes sense logically but I don't know... something like that would have to be right first time and well we're not always great at first time : )

See something like that could prove relatively cheap compared to other routes and IF they could prove that the pathogen only affected reptiles, snakes and specifically pythons then cool, grand do it...but if the pathogen had any chance of changing once out there in the ecosystem things could get hairy.

Here's the classic Cane Toad example/story - quite interesting, scary but interesting.
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Native to Central and South America, Cane toads were introduced to Australia from Hawaii in June 1935 by the Bureau of Sugar Experiment Stations in an attempt to control the native cane beetle (Dermolepida albohirtum). These beetles are native to Australia and they are detrimental to sugar cane crops, which are a major source of income for Australia. Adult cane beetles eat the crop's leaves, but the main problem is the larvae, who feed on the roots. Adult cane beetles have a heavy exoskeleton and their eggs and larva are often buried underground, making them difficult to exterminate. Furthermore, conventional methods of pest control, such as pesticide use, would eradicate harmless species of insects as well, making it an inadequate method.[5]
The cane toads bred immediately in captivity, and by August 1935 more than 102 young toads were released in areas around Cairns, Gordonvale and Innisfail in northern Queensland. More toads were released around Ingham, Ayr, Mackay and Bundaberg. Releases were temporarily limited because of environmental concerns but resumed in other areas after September 1936. Since their release, toads have rapidly multiplied in population and now number over 200 million and have been known to spread diseases affecting local biodiversity.[6] Unfortunately, the introduction of the toads has not only caused large environmental detriment, but there is also no evidence that they have had an impact on the cane beetles they were introduced to predate. The toads have steadily expanded their range through Queensland, reaching the border with New South Wales in 1978 and the Northern Territory in 1984. The toads on the western frontier of their advance have evolved larger legs;[7] this is thought to be related to their ability to travel farther.

So we have a history of introducing one thing to get rid of another thing and then creating a bigger problem as a result.. so although the biotech answer might seem the way to go - it would need so much testing which could never really prove its safety that most likely some group or other would prevent its use and slow its development past a threshold point of no return for Burm spread which is probably within the next 5 years if they're talking 100,000 already!!... I saw a doc on it that said a team of about 5 guys a few quad bikes, a few boats and a helicopter only caught bout 30 snakes in the whole year even though they knew they were out there... they couldn't trap them effectively, track them effectively or get to them effectively yet their supposed prey numbers keep dropping as per sightings data - some species are even feared disappeared entirely from the local habitats which is just mad. They know that a large Burm will take anything up to and including 4 foot American crocs or Alligators, adult white tail deer, large fowl, larghe water birds and even fears of them hunting the Florida Panther which I assume is rare as hens teeth so that's not good.

now you're talki but would have to be spread all over the Everglades i.e. be rampant everywhere AND would only eat Burm eggs and not everything else eggs... think rats from ships killed off a few things in New Zealand by eatin their eggs too.