There have been several articles in different journals about feral Burmese reticulated pythons in Florida. Just FYI their skins make some of the finest belts and if you get a big one, you could also make superb wallets etc.

We used to skin snakes in India and rub the inside of the skins with a 50-50 mix of salt and alum and then leave them to dry before making whatever we wanted to out of them.

I'd love to bag a few if I could.

Cheers!

I don't know anything about the snake situation in Florida. I did see something on the Discovery Channel saying that one of the aiports in Florida has a healthy population of escaped monkeys. I wouldn't mind popping of a few of them.

I saw just today on one of the News channels that they have captured 95 Pytons so far in Florida this year. Seems that owners buy them and when they get to big they release them in the wild. Seems pretty dumb to me!!! Iguanas are becoming a problem also!!!

I saw the same show and I believe they said something like 1200 snakes based on population density extrapalation based on what has been captured. Those big snakes are capable of eating at least two deer per year, more than that in birds, fish, pigs, and other small animals. They are well capable of eating children, pets and adult humans. In fact there was a photo of a snake that had burst open from eating a full size gator which apprently was not dead and thrashed around to kill the snake as well as dying later.
As always rather than letting any hunting for them take place they are capturing, tracking and removing the big snakes using scientific technology.
A very serious problem in my opinion. Snakes have survived since the age of dinosaurs for good reason.
Frank

Living in south FL and also working in the aquatic weed control industry, I can assure you the burmese pythons are a very serious threat in south Florida. They have naturalized, breeding populations in the Everglades and surrounding National parks. Some authorites have been given the permission to shoot the snakes on site since they are a non-native, invasive species.

Someone mentioned the iguanas. I have several pictures of iguanas I've taken over the past 8 months or so that I have lived down here. They are common in certain portions of the Miami-Ft. Lauderdale ares. However, you wouldn't even think of finding them in other areas because of the people that live there. Apparently, the islanders of the Carribean love iguana meet. I personally have never tried it. I will say also there was one I used to see every morning in a particular tree sunning himself. This iguana was about 5-6 foot in length and I couldn't begin to guess how much he weighed. I'll just say he was the biggest iguana I've ever seen in my life. He hasn't been in his tree for some months now. I suspect he was dinner a couple months ago.

I'll close by adding a couple other invasive species that don't get the headlines but do have naturalized, breeding populations causing harm: nutria, capybara (you can actually hunt these), Gambian giant pouched rat, feral domestic fowl (chickens and guineas), Rhesus monkeys, Monk parakeet, Nile monitor, and the giant toad. These are just a few of the more notable species. I won't even get started on the fish species; however, if you want to know more about the fish just let me know. I have caught some nice peacock bass though!

Do you have to be an "Authority" to shoot one of these snakes?

quote:

Originally posted by TJ:
Do you have to be an "Authority" to shoot one of these snakes?

In the short, NO. But if it within certain city boundaries then you do need permission as usual. However, those people who work for some of the water management districts now have the permission to carry small caliber firearms for shooting snakes. Also, I think there might be some rules and regulations regarding firearms in some of the parks and natural areas.

I bet those snakes would make great pair or two of cowboy boots plus belt and hat band.

Their skins are beautiful and they turn out really nice. I wish the Florida DNR allows them to be hunted or trapped and eradicated in the wild. The meat is also very tasty and it is like fish.

Thanks, gentlemen, for the information.

DBKing,

Excellent idea. Actually, you could even make briefcases, watch straps and wallets from the skins. There is no need to tan them and Florida has the sun to dry them properly.

While I have several snakes, one with the potential to be really large (Reticulated Python-Python Reticulatus), I cannot condone someone releasing Python Molarus (Burmese)into the wild after they realized that they were too big for them to manage. Keeping large constrictors is a commitment not to be taken lightly and if the person is unable to do that, DON'T BUY THE DAMN SNAKE! Sure they're cute when small, but they do grow and are apex predators in their niche. End of rant

I think that it would be a ball to hunt these. I would think that the biggest question is whether to use a Ruger 10-22 or a 44 Magnum Super Blackhawk and "snake" shot loads. The latter worked well on rattlers and water mocassins in Texas, but these snakes are just a "little" bigger. Perhaps a 410 in a Contender pistol.....

Don In CO

After looking at you firearms choices I think that you might have a mistaken idea of the size of the Burmese Python. Full sixe cottonmouth or rattlesnake woul make a snack for one.
I believe snake shot would work for a very small version of the snake, but be FAR from effective with an adult. Of course at arms length or a little bit better I admit it would work.
The problem I have had is that as the shot size gets big enough to have effect on larger stuff the pattern ges too thin. I have made some 44 cases that are the full length of the cylinder but never fully tested them.
May have to get bact to that project and contineu the testing. It should be close to a 2.5" 410 shotgun.

http://news.nationalgeographic.com/news/2004/06/0603_04...invasivespecies.html

TC,

I agree that I am uncertain about the appropriate caliber or size of shotgun. I always wondered when I saw these in zoos or pet stores what would be an adequate size gun. Being in the water or partially obscured by brush and weeds would be complicating factors.

I have shot many rattlers, some measuring over 6 feet, but these would still be babies compared to these pythons.

Maybe just a centerfire pistol of some sort....

I added the link after.
I should have put it in my original post.

Many introductions are benign, but others become a problem. Our beloved Ringneck Pheasant (Chinese Ringneck Pheasant) and the Chukar seem to fill a niche that has not harmed any native species.

Ask a Tennessean about thistle on the plant side of the world.

OOPS, rant mode off . . . .

Now if I would just hear about my Colorado Muzzleloading Elk tag!!!