{"id":44195,"date":"2024-11-29T10:55:02","date_gmt":"2024-11-29T09:55:02","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/f4e1a771-9101-4e75-a169-8045373c0034"},"modified":"2024-11-29T11:27:24","modified_gmt":"2024-11-29T10:27:24","slug":"an-immense-creature-is-moving-through-the-vast-swamps-of-the-everglades-national-park","status":"publish","type":"rss_feed","link":"https:\/\/c01.purpledshub.com\/bbcwildlife\/rss_feed\/an-immense-creature-is-moving-through-the-vast-swamps-of-the-everglades-national-park\/","title":{"rendered":"An immense creature is moving through the vast swamps of the Everglades National Park"},"content":{"rendered":"

A new study suggests that the animal could be an even more adept hunter than experts in Florida first thought… <\/p>

By Daniel Graham\n <\/p>

Published: Friday, 29 November 2024 at 09:55 AM<\/p>

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Burmese pythons are capable of consuming prey even larger than previously believed, according to a new study in the Everglades National Park.<\/strong><\/p>

This revelation suggests an even wider array of animals could fall victim to these non-native snakes across southern Florida, where they have already decimated populations of native species such as foxes, bobcats and raccoons<\/a>.<\/p>

The Everglades is the third-largest national park in USA, spanning 1.5 million acres. It is a unique ecosystem that includes freshwater sloughs, mangroves, sawgrass marshes and coastal lowlands\/Getty <\/figcaption> <\/figure>

A snake’s ‘gape’ \u2013 and why it matters<\/h2>

Known for swallowing deer, alligators<\/a> and other prey whole, pythons rely on their flexible, stretchable jaws to determine what they can eat \u2013 a feature researchers refer to as the snake\u2019s ‘gape’. Their soft, highly elastic skin contributes to over half of the gape\u2019s circumference, enabling them to consume prey six times larger than similarly sized snakes.<\/p>

Now, in a new study<\/a> of Burmese pythons in the Everglades, University of Cincinnati Professor Bruce Jayne has discovered that the biggest snakes have a gape significantly larger than earlier mathematical models predicted.<\/p>

The Everglades is home to an incredible array of wildlife, including rare and endangered species such as the Florida panther, American crocodile, West Indian manatee, roseate spoonbills and wood storks\/Getty <\/figcaption> <\/figure>

Jayne and his team examined three massive pythons measuring between 4.5\u20135.8 metres (15\u201319 feet) in length. While past studies documented snakes with a gape of 22 centimetres (8.7 inches), the largest snake in Jayne\u2019s research had a gape of 26 centimetres (10.2 inches).<\/p>

\u201cThat doesn\u2019t sound like a lot \u2013 just 18% bigger,\u201d Jayne explains, but the total gape area increased by an astounding 40%. The largest snakes could boast a gape circumference exceeding 81 centimetres \u2013 roughly the same as a 32-inch trouser waist.<\/p>

This enlarged gape allows Burmese pythons to tackle much bigger prey than once thought, says Jayne. Field observations include instances of these snakes swallowing prey such as a 35-kilogram (77-pound) deer \u2013 equivalent to two-thirds of the snake’s total body weight.<\/p>

\u201cWatching an invasive apex predator<\/a> swallow a full-sized deer in front of you is unforgettable,\u201d says Ian Bartoszek of the Conservancy of Southwest Florida<\/a>.<\/p>

\u201cThe impact Burmese pythons have on native wildlife cannot be overstated. This is a defining wildlife issue for the Greater Everglades ecosystem,\u201d says Bartoszek, who explains that understanding the upper limits of the prey these snakes can consume is key to predicting their ecological impact as they spread into new areas.<\/p>

\"Burmese
Researchers observed this 15-foot-long Burmese python swallowing a 77-pound deer in the Everglades National Park\/Ian Bartoszek, Conservancy of Southwest Florida <\/figcaption> <\/figure>