Pythons in the Everglades ending the world as we know it!!!
- Thread starter snakeguy101
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Coyotes, Floridan Panthers and other native predators have different diets and different niches. Coyotes can eat whatever they wants as they are not picky. Panthers often feed on deer, armadillos and feral pigs as the fecal analysis has revealed so it is strongly possible that pythons and panthers have different prey items but panthers and pythons do feeding on raccoons and hares. Pythons rarely prey on deer as there are only two known case of them feed on whitetail deer (one fawn and one doe). Also there are no evidence of pythons feeding on armadillos or feral pigs in Florida.
Coyotes definitely are opportunistic but tend to focus on small mammals and carrion for the bulk of their diet. About 90 % of the Florida panther's diet is feral hog, white-tailed deer, raccoon, and armadillo; occasionally they consume rabbits, rats, and birds, and on rare occasion alligators. These panthers currently are restricted to a few preserves, parks, and refuges all of which are mostly swamp; the snakes also just so happen to live in the some of the same areas.
I would imagine that the increase in these two native predators (as well as the American alligator) attributed to some of the results that the study found; I agree that the snakes most likely did not have a large effect, if any, on the deer and armadillo populations. These native predators also have started to include the snakes in their diets, especially in the case of the American alligator, so they will help to control the introduced population. My point here is that these snakes are not solely responsible for the decreases that the study "observed."
whats a panther?
In this case, it's a subspecies of cougar (Puma concolor coryi).
Someone posted a similar thread in the lounge and I was hoping that some of the regulars in this section would be on top of the news....you didn't disapoint.
just hate that word being used in any context other than to describe the genius... using panther as common name s pure bs in imo....
In other words, python's diet do not overlap with cougar/coyotes' diet. Coyotes eat whatever they can and they can scavenging something that pythons cannot do and the coyotes are not pure carnivores but actually an omnivore...something that python cannot do that. Roadkills were important diet for most coyotes in Florida, included roadkill pythons. Interesting is that Flordian coyotes have high vegatative matter diet and also have high diet of insects. Both insects and vegatative matter were high than rodents and rabbits which are less than 45%....but that is depends on dry/wet seasons. Deer fawns are also important prey item for coyotes. If the coyote populations are high, you are expecting decreases in deer populations. It is well documented in areas where the coyote populations are high.
So pythons have nothing do with increasing of native predators or decreasing mammals populations. Deer is mentioned in the article but they are not main prey for pythons through it is possible for pythons feeding heavily on newborn fawns in specific season. It's funny thing is that feral pigs are not on the python's menu.
Yes, that's correct; there is very little dietary overlap for the pythons and the native predators; these snakes definitely are not in direct competition with these native predators under most circumstances and are readily preyed upon by them, especially when they're small.
they definitely need to do a far more sientific population survey than road cruising. i mean come on any kind of traffic within a hour would mess that up not to mention weather patterns
moon phase, and only about a hundred other variables. i can tell you that at least here in colorado in the last 5 years coyote populations have exploded and they affect all the mid sized mammal populations here. ive seen large decreases in everything from prairie dogs and rats to fox and even feral cats(part of my job). and id bet that the feral hogs have even more to do with it than the coyotes.there have been reports all over the county about the staggering increases in their numbers. the hogs would directly compete with the midsized natives and prey on them to from what i understand.
all this about pythons has been blown way out of proportion grabbed on to by the humane society of America who fanned the flames with hysteria and backed the bill just like they did with the nut job that let all his big cats go and then whacked hiself (they backed a bill to outlaw exotics there too). the hsus is out to ban pet ownership across the board.and they are damn good at it too with their ads on animal planet showing you the worst of mankinds treatment of animals. and then the good hearted animal owners of america donate without knowing they are funding a group that is opposed to owning any animal including domestic dogs and cats.
moon phase, and only about a hundred other variables. i can tell you that at least here in colorado in the last 5 years coyote populations have exploded and they affect all the mid sized mammal populations here. ive seen large decreases in everything from prairie dogs and rats to fox and even feral cats(part of my job). and id bet that the feral hogs have even more to do with it than the coyotes.there have been reports all over the county about the staggering increases in their numbers. the hogs would directly compete with the midsized natives and prey on them to from what i understand.
all this about pythons has been blown way out of proportion grabbed on to by the humane society of America who fanned the flames with hysteria and backed the bill just like they did with the nut job that let all his big cats go and then whacked hiself (they backed a bill to outlaw exotics there too). the hsus is out to ban pet ownership across the board.and they are damn good at it too with their ads on animal planet showing you the worst of mankinds treatment of animals. and then the good hearted animal owners of america donate without knowing they are funding a group that is opposed to owning any animal including domestic dogs and cats.
