User:Juliajerolamon/sandbox

Invasiveness contribution

According to the World Conservation Union, Burmese Python was listed as "nearly threatened" in its native range in Southeast Asia. This was the result of the illegal trade for food, skin, medical purposes, and leather used in musical instruments such as Erheen, Sanxian, and hand drums in China. In China, a low-quality snake skin market including Burmese Python had been established and source was supplied from west Malaysia. In Vietnam, this snake had also put under pressure from the use of food, skin, pet trade supply, and snake wine. Trade in this species was illegal but they has been imported illegally in those countries. It was difficult to trace the origin of the sources. Furthermore, thousands of Burmese python was captured and imported to the Unites States for sale as pet with very cheap price^[20]. Though the Chinese government’s designated Burmese Python as a protected species, the illegal harvesting had been still happened and Chinese populations had not recovered. Another reason leading to Burmese Python’s threat was the degradation of habitat due to slash, and burn agriculture. This might eliminate this species’ preys and made it more vulnerable to exploitation by human^[21].

By the year 2011, researchers identified up to twenty-five species of birds form nine avian orders in the digestive tract remains of eighty-five Burmese Pythons found in the Everglades National Park. Native bird populations are suffering a negative impact from the introduction of the Burmese Python in Florida; among these bird species, the hunting of Wood Stork by the Burmese Python is of specific concern considering that it is listed as federally endangered. ^[3]

There have been numerous efforts to eliminate the Burmese Python population in the last decade. It is important to understand the preferable habitat for the species in order to narrow down the python hunt. It has been found that Burmese Pythons tend to select broad-leafed and low-flooded habitats. Broad-leafed habitats comprise cypress, overstory, and coniferous forest. Even though aquatic marsh environments would be a great source for prey, the pythons seem to prioritize morphological and behavioral camouflage to be protected from predators. Also, the Burmese Pythons in Florida have been found to prefer elevated habitats since this provides the optimal conditions for nesting. As well as elevated habitats, edge habitats are also a common place where the Burmese python is found for thermoregulation, nesting, and hunting purposes.

One of the Burmese Python eradication movements with the biggest influence was the 2013 Python Challenge in Florida. This was a month-long contest where a total of 68 pythons were removed. The contest offered incentives such as prizes for longest and greatest number of captured pythons. The purpose of the challenge was to raise awareness about the invasive species; increase participation from the public and agency cooperation; and to remove as many pythons as possible from the Florida Everglades.

A recent study from 2017 introduced a new method for identifying the presence of Burmese Pythons in southern Florida; this method involves the screening of mosquito blood. Ever since the introduction of the Burmese Python in Florida, the pythons have become hosts for mosquito communities. ^[28] The research involved the screening of native mosquitoes' blood for the presence of python DNA. By this means, it is possible to determine the presence or absence of the Burmese Python. ^[28]

Bibliography for invasiveness extension

2009. "Florida: Reptile Species Ban Considered." New York Times, August 06. 17. Academic Search Alumni Edition, EBSCOhost (accessed May 2, 2018).

Walters, T. M., Mazzotti, F. J., & Fitz, H. C. (2016). Habitat selection by the invasive species burmese python in Southern Florida. Journal of Herpetology, 50(1), 50-56.

Mazzotti, F. J., Rochford, M., Vinci, J., Jeffery, B. M., Eckles, J. K., Dove, C., & Sommers, K. P. (2016). Implications of the 2013 Python Challenge® for Ecology and Management of Python molorus bivittatus (Burmese Python) in Florida. Southeastern Naturalist, 15(sp8), 63-74.

Dove, C. J., Snow, R. W., Rochford, M. R., & Mazzotti, F. J. (2011). BIRDS CONSUMED BY THE INVASIVE BURMESE PYTHON (PYTHON MOLURUS BIVITTATUS) IN EVERGLADES NATIONAL PARK, FLORIDA, USA. The Wilson Journal of Ornithology, 123(1), 126-131. Retrieved from https://jwupvdz.idm.oclc.org/login?url=https://search-proquest-com.jwupvdz.idm.oclc.org/docview/857254452?accountid=1363

Top 10 Invasive Species". Time. 2010-02-02. Retrieved 2010-04-27.

"Democrats Hold Hearing on Administration's Plan to Constrict Snakes in the Everglades - House Committee on Natural Resources". Naturalresources.house.gov. 2010-03-23. Retrieved 2012-08-09.

Reeves, L. E., Krysko, K. L., Avery, M. L., Gillett-Kaufman, J., Kawahara, A. Y., Connelly, C. R., et al. (2018). Interactions between the invasive burmese python, python bivittatus kuhl, and the local mosquito community in florida, USA. PLoS One, 13(1)    

Burmese python existing page

Distribution and habitat[edit]

Natural distribution of the Burmese python (green) Burmese pythons are found throughout Southern and Southeast Asia, including eastern India, Nepal, western Bhutan, southeastern Bangladesh, Myanmar, Thailand, Laos, Cambodia, Vietnam, northern continental Malaysia, far southern China (Fujian, Jiangxi, Guangdong, Hainan, Guangxi, and Yunnan), Hong Kong, and in Indonesia on Java, southern Sulawesi, Bali, and Sumbawa. Burmese pythons are also reported from Kinmen, very close to the Chinese mainland, but in Taiwanese territory; the Burmese python belongs to the fauna of Taiwan when Taiwan refers to the Republic of China, but not to the island of Taiwan.

These pythons are excellent swimmers and need a permanent source of water. They can be found in grasslands, marshes, swamps, rocky foothills, woodlands, river valleys, and jungles with open clearings. They are good climbers and have prehensiletails.

Invasive species (United States)[edit]

Main article: Burmese pythons in Florida United States range in 2007 A captured Burmese Python in the Florida Everglades

Python invasion has been particularly extensive, notably across South Florida, where a large number of pythons can now be found in the Florida Everglades. It has been suggested that the current number of Burmese pythons in the Florida everglades has reached a minimum viable population and become an invasive species. Hurricane Andrew in 1992 was deemed responsible for the destruction of a python breeding facility and zoo, and these escaped snakes spread and populated areas into the Everglades. More than 1,330  have been captured in the Everglades.

By 2007, the Burmese python was found in northern Florida, and in the coastal areas of the Florida Panhandle, and the importation of Burmese pythons was banned in the United States in January 2012 by the U.S. Department of the Interior. A 2012 report stated, "in areas where the snakes are well established, foxes and rabbits have disappeared. Sightings of raccoons are down by 99.3%, opossums by 98.9%, and white-tailed deer by 94.1%." Bird and coyote populations may be threatened, as well as the already-rare Florida panther.

Burmese pythons also compete with the native American alligator, and numerous instances of alligators and pythons attacking - and in some cases, preying on - each other have been reported and recorded.

Burmese python

This article mentions that the Burmese python is an invasive species in the U.S. but there could be a lot more information about its invasiveness. We could probably use the information that they provided as an outline by adding to the main points. For example, we could discuss the mechanisms of invasion as well as the conditions that favor it.

Article Review

• Is everything in the article relevant to the article topic? Is there anything that distracted you? Overall the article was relevant to the article topic. It is a good and concise overview of invasive species in the U.S as it includes government policies, education and outreach, as well as a breakdown of invasive species by area.
• Is the article neutral? Are there any claims, or frames, that appear heavily biased toward a particular position? The article is pretty objective and neutral. It is more informative than opinionated in the way that it mostly shares facts.
• Are there viewpoints that are overrepresented, or underrepresented? It seems like the article focuses more on the social and economical consequences of invasive species rather than on the ecological side effects.
• Check a few citations. Do the links work? Does the source support the claims in the article? Yes, the links to the citations work properly. Also, the information correlates adecuately to the original source.
• Is each fact referenced with an appropriate, reliable reference? Where does the information come from? Are these neutral sources? If biased, is that bias noted? There is an average of one citation for every couple sentences. The sources used seem to be government-funded web pages such as The U.S. Forest Service. Also, there is a few sources from common journals such as The Washington Post.