Giant Pythons Have Overrun Florida. Here’s Why.

Ever heard of the phrase "when pet pythons outgrow their owners"? Well, host Shane Campbell-Staton is about to take us on an adventure to find out what happens next in this episode of Human Footprint. Join Shane as he meets bounty hunter Donna Kalil, exotic animal trader Hillary Dupont, and biologists Matthew McCollister and Kristen Hart as they battle the invasive Burmese Pythons of the Everglades.

Human Footprint is a show that delves into the impact of humans on the planet. Join Shane as he travels from farms to restaurants, from high-tech labs to street markets, and from forests to cities to uncover the consequences of our unique history. Are you ready to explore our past, present, and future as a species?

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[cbfarber]

Rangers have said that in the Everglades National Park there are no more raccoons, rabbits or other small mammals. Now the snakes are going for bird eggs. Pythons have also been found swimming in Florida Bay - they can swim and tolerate salt water. Add to this the threat of black and white tegus that primarily eat eggs. A breeder that was operating near ENP was cited for violations. When rechecked a couple of weeks later, the place was abandoned and all the cages opened and empty.

[merlapittman]

I knew these pythons were having a seriously negative effect on Florida wildlife, but I didn't realize how big the impact was!

[nancywallace]

This was a problem 20 years ago. There was a congressman who warned about these snakes but it fell on deaf ears. Too little, too late. What a shame.

[heatherlee]

Donna IS 100% brought 'em here, we NEED to try & eliminate them.

[minutestomidnight]

It's terrible when irresponsible pet owners just dump their pets in the nearby environment, but it's ten times worse when it's a foreign species. The risk of invasive species impacting an ecosystem is always huge.

[patray]

"And how old is the Prince of Darkness?" Lol I think I just found my new favorite program. Excellent episode, many thanks to all involved in the production.

[stephenshortnacy]

With 300, 000+ pythons, they're going to need another 500+ Donnas.

[SapphireZeev]

Amazing. The one time humans can’t make something go extinct

[cbfarber]

Park ranger told me you can be standing next ti one in grass and not see it! She said they ( the ranger at Shark Valley ) had caught one that had a 70 lb deer inside of it

[IanGrams]

I had no idea this was going on let alone the impact it has had on the native wildlife population. This was a super interesting look at the people dedicating their time to learn and try to solve this. Thanks to Shane and the rest of the team that made this possible!

[OvertheRiverandThroughtheWoods]

Shane Campbell-Staton, you are my hero! I have spent a lot of time working among academics, so I know the kind of posturing that goes on in that environment, and the fissure that can open up between scientists and the world around them. I have so much admiration for how you approach this journalistic role with down-to-earth humility and humor and curiosity. Thank you so much for choosing to do this important work, and for doing it so well. (Perhaps this is a delayed comment, because these thoughts were first inspired by previous episodes. "I learned to make cinnamon rolls from a YouTube video once"... )😊

[lasmith]

The women shown catching these snakes are badass fr 😭❤️

[cozymonk]

6:49 I need to offer a correction: No constrictor snake constricts in self defense... That would be completely disadvantageous for them as constricting just brings any predator close enough to them to use their claws and teeth. Snakes *only* constrict when they're in feeding mode. If they are defending themselves, their objective is to keep distance by first keeping perfectly still to remain unseen, running away if possible, mock striking to prevent injury to themselves, and then real striking when the threat is proven to be more serious, in that order. They won't have the neurological feeding response to start constricting if they're defending themselves. They need to have an expectation of food to constrict.

Not only that, but most "giant" snakes are apex predators in their natural environments. This include Burmese and reticulated pythons. Because they are apex, they have minimal to no defense mechanisms once they reach adulthood. Reticulated and Burmese pythons can bite, but it is 99.99% of the time because they were in food-response mode and saw a warm hand and thought it was food, but the snakes are basically fearless and have no urge to fight something, because there's nothing that tries to kill them in their natural habitat. Burmese are especially docile and people call them "puppy dog snakes." They do bite in defense as babies, but they grow out of the behavior at size, if they're not traumatized.

No adult human needs to be concerned about being attacked by a python. They don't see us as food and aren't scared of us. Children and pets, though...

[asianhobbitshaving]

I hate to say it, but, because of the Burmese Python 's adaptability, camouflage, and high birth rate, the battle has been lost. They are here to stay. In addition, the Florida Everglades have channels, or waterways, for the snakes to spread out. The snake catchers are basically fighting the ocean with a broom.

[survivrs]

In the '90's, there were a couple of hurricanes that came through Florida, hitting at least one reptile facility (maybe more than one) allowing both Burmese Pythons and other invasive species such as Iguanas turning them loose. It would have been great if it was a sub zero temperature for a month after the hurricane because that would probably killed most if not all of them, but as we know, there is no such thing as a sub zero climate in Florida, they are literally a hotbed for the pythons. Unfortunately they have destroyed a lot of flora and fauna of the everglades and continue to move farther north, eating the wildlife that belongs there. There are people who make their income by catching these snakes, getting bounties by the weight and length of the snakes, they sell the meat, and then the skin to make boots or belts, who knows how many things. I got into the show with Dusty and his cohorts capturing pythons left and right, including babies. and when I wasn't seeing the show returning, I learned of Dusty nearly losing his leg in a bad accident. Along came Swamp People, 2 separate shows, one for Gators, and one for Pythons. They aren't quite what I'd gotten used to, but they are on the History channel and I love watching them chase them down, grab them, and bag them to get their bounty.

[seakr]

Amazing on at least two occasions we were told " the snake is there" but I still couldn't see them, no wonder they are such a problem.

[lolz]

There is a reason its totally legal to catch and kill them on sight in Florida. So long as its done humanely by the guidelines put out by the state of Florida its literally open season. There are python challenges every year. Theres one going on right now. Cash prizes.

[jeffrobinson]

I blame these pet store owners for selling these to anyone that walked in and wanted to buy one. Surely they knew these snakes would grow very large and many would end up being released into Floridas ecosystem. This is clearly a problem that has gone way beyond out of control. For every 500 they catch, im sure 500 are being hatched in a python nest somewhere. The pet/ reptile industry should stop selling these snakes, lizards, turtles, frogs to the public just for profit in their pockets . Its sad to see wildlife exploited like this and forced to create a ecosytem scenario in which the species breeds out of control.

[miknapkin]

I've heard you must say "YOINK" before grabbing snakes, legally.

[Nefville]

This is an amazing production. Somehow YT didn't recommend it to me until now. I've always supported PBS even when they were only on local access TV and I'm glad to see you guys taking over the internet, especially with such good videos.