Cold-induced mortality of invasive Burmese pythons in south Florida

Mazzotti, Frank J.; Cherkiss, Michael S.; Hart, Kristen M.; Snow, Ray W.; Rochford, Michael R.; Dorcas, Michael E.; Reed, Robert N.

doi:10.1007/s10530-010-9797-5

Cited by 55 publications

(75 citation statements)

References 24 publications

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“…The behavioral observations by Avery et al (2010) and Mazzotti et al (2011) were congruent with those of Barker (2008) that tropical constrictors, including Burmese pythons, do not display a survival instinct for avoiding lethally cold temperatures. The Burmese python, as a mostly tropical and subtropical species, apparently does not recognize potentially lethal cold.…”

Section: Empirical Observationssupporting

confidence: 82%

“…During this period, ambient temperatures recorded at Homestead Air Reserve Base (just east of Everglades National Park) were colder than normal (Jacobson et al 2012). Following the period of cold temperatures, nine of the 10 monitored pythons were found dead or near dead (Mazzotti et al 2011), indicating a large portion of the wild population may have died in the cold.…”

Section: Empirical Observationsmentioning

confidence: 90%

“…Any pythons living north of the Everglades appeared to have a poor chance for survival. As documented by radiotelemetry, even pythons in the Everglades had a high risk of mortality (Mazzotti et al 2011).…”

Section: Empirical Observationsmentioning

confidence: 99%

“…In January 2010, Mazzotti et al (2011) were using radiotelemetry to monitor activity of 10 Burmese pythons in the heart of their invasive range in Everglades National Park. During this period, ambient temperatures recorded at Homestead Air Reserve Base (just east of Everglades National Park) were colder than normal (Jacobson et al 2012).…”

Section: Empirical Observationsmentioning

confidence: 99%

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Weighing empirical and hypothetical evidence for assessing potential invasive species range limits: a review of the case of Burmese pythons in the USA

Engeman

Avery

Jacobson

2014

Environ Sci Pollut Res

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Range expansion potential is an important consideration for prioritizing management actions against an invasive species. Understanding the potential for range expansion by invasive reptiles such as the Burmese python can be challenging, because the lack of knowledge on fundamental physiological and behavioral constraints initially forces reliance on modeling to predict hypothetical invasive range potential. Hypothetical predictions for Burmese python range limits in the USA have been highly divergent, from only extreme South Florida and the extreme southern Gulf edge of Texas to a broad swath over the southern third of the continental USA. Empirical observations on python thermal tolerances and behavioral abilities to cope with more temperate temperatures became evident during a cold spell in December 2009-January 2010. We review and highlight important considerations for improving invasive range estimation methodology, deciding between competing range predictions, and the importance of having, and applying, empirical data to aid in decision making.

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Section: Empirical Observationssupporting

confidence: 82%

Section: Empirical Observationsmentioning

confidence: 90%

Section: Empirical Observationsmentioning

confidence: 99%

Section: Empirical Observationsmentioning

confidence: 99%

See 2 more Smart Citations

Weighing empirical and hypothetical evidence for assessing potential invasive species range limits: a review of the case of Burmese pythons in the USA

Engeman

Avery

Jacobson

2014

Environ Sci Pollut Res

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“…These species are known to prey upon and compete with native species. The Burmese python, native to Asia, is now found throughout much of southern Florida and has been the focus of several recent studies on impacts to native species Dove et al 2011;Holbrook and Chesnes 2011;Mazzotti et al 2011, Dorcas et al 2012). Many of the invasive plant and animal species found in Florida are constrained to their current extent by temperature.…”

Section: Invasive Speciesmentioning

confidence: 99%

Climate Change Impacts on Florida’s Biodiversity and Ecology

Stys¹,

Foster²,

Fuentes³

et al. 2017

Florida’s Climate: Changes, Variations, &Amp; Impacts

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Florida's rich biodiversity is the product of climatic conditions Key Messages Climate Change Impacts on Biodiversity and Ecology• Climate change has differential impacts on: coastal ecosystems, freshwater wetlands, and upland ecosystems. Coastal ecosystems, in particular, are subject to the "squeeze" of human impacts, changing climate, and rising sea levels.• The Florida Keys and the Everglades are particularly vulnerable to sea level rise over the next 50 to 100 years due to their low elevation (typically less than 1 m).• Out of 1,200 species tracked by the Florida Natural Areas Inventory, 25% are likely to lose at least half of their current habitat due to sea level rise alone.• Florida's species have migrated and adapted to climate change in the past, but that ability is severely compromised now due largely to human modification of the landscape. Up to 76% of 236 surveyed species were deemed unlikely to be able to relocate inland in response to rising sea level.• Several keystone species are particularly vulnerable to the impacts of climate change and the loss of these species can have cascading impacts on natural communities.• Sea turtles are likely to respond to climate change through altered sex ratios of hatchlings, northward movements of rookeries, decreased reproductive output due to storm events, and potential shifts in foraging ground locations. • BETH STYS ET AL.• Phenology, or the timing of life history events, are likely to change in response to climate shifts, both as the climate becomes warmer but also as it becomes more variable. This is particularly true for plants and can cause major disruptions to co-evolutionary relationships, such as those between pollinators and the plants they pollinate. Existing Stressors and Climate Change• Habitat loss and degradation are the leading causes of extinctions in Florida and globally.The impacts of climate change on species and natural communities are greatly magnified by decreased adaptive capacity due to habitat loss and degradation.• Many invasive species are projected to have enhanced fitness under future climate change scenarios, potentially causing greater disruption to natural communities.• Climate change is projected to increase the vulnerability of native species to foreign and domestic pathogens and parasites.• Overexploited species have diminished capacity to adapt to climate change, making them especially vulnerable. Preserving Biodiversity for the Future• Planning for climate change involves impact assessments, adaptation scenario planning, and research and monitoring.• While many of the ways in which species and natural communities respond to climate change are gradual, other changes can be abrupt and non-linear. These so-called thresholds, trigger points, or paradigm shifts are harder to predict, but are often more consequential than linear patterns of change through time.

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Cytonuclear discordance in the Florida Everglades invasive Burmese python (Python bivittatus) population reveals possible hybridization with the Indian python (P. molurus)

Hunter

Johnson

Smith

et al. 2018

Ecology and Evolution

Self Cite

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The invasive Burmese python (Python bivittatus) has been reproducing in the Florida Everglades since the 1980s. These giant constrictor snakes have caused a precipitous decline in small mammal populations in southern Florida following escapes or releases from the commercial pet trade. To better understand the invasion pathway and genetic composition of the population, two mitochondrial (mtDNA) loci across 1,398 base pairs were sequenced on 426 snakes and 22 microsatellites were assessed on 389 snakes. Concatenated mtDNA sequences produced six haplotypes with an average nucleotide and haplotype diversity of π = 0.002 and h = 0.097, respectively. Samples collected in Florida from morphologically identified P. bivittatus snakes were similar to published cytochrome oxidase 1 and cytochrome b sequences from both P. bivittatus and Python molurus and were highly divergent (genetic distances of 5.4% and 4.3%, respectively). The average number of microsatellite alleles and expected heterozygosity were N A = 5.50 and H E = 0.60, respectively. Nuclear Bayesian assignment tests supported two genetically distinct groups and an admixed group, not geographically differentiated. The effective population size (N E = 315.1) was lower than expected for a population this large, but reflected the low genetic diversity overall. The patterns of genetic diversity between mtDNA and microsatellites were disparate, indicating nuclear introgression of separate mtDNA lineages corresponding to cytonuclear discordance. The introgression likely occurred prior to the invasion, but genetic information on the native range and commercial trade is needed for verification. Our finding that the Florida python population is comprised of distinct lineages suggests greater standing variation for adaptation and the potential for broader areas of suitable habitat in the invaded range.

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Cold-induced mortality of invasive Burmese pythons in south Florida

Cited by 55 publications

References 24 publications

Weighing empirical and hypothetical evidence for assessing potential invasive species range limits: a review of the case of Burmese pythons in the USA

Weighing empirical and hypothetical evidence for assessing potential invasive species range limits: a review of the case of Burmese pythons in the USA

Climate Change Impacts on Florida’s Biodiversity and Ecology

Cytonuclear discordance in the Florida Everglades invasive Burmese python (Python bivittatus) population reveals possible hybridization with the Indian python (P. molurus)

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