By Rainbow Starr
Environmental Reporter
EVERGLADES, FLORIDA - When He kicked Adam and Eve out of Eden, God said to the serpent, "I will put enmity between thee and the woman, and between thy seed and her seed. He shall bruise thy head, and thou shalt bruise his heel."
Well, God wasn't just whistling Dixie.
Like a scene from a B-grade horror film, over 800 hunters are crashing through the swamp with guns and machetes this weekend. Their goal is to kill as many Burmese pythons as possible (between beers). Up to 180,000 Burmese pythons have invaded Everglades National Park. So, the park has declared open season on the dangerous snakes which can grow 20 feet long and weigh up to 200 lbs.
What could go wrong?
In one corner, we have drunken Rednecks! About 30 of them are licensed and experienced snake hunters. The majority only needed to buy a $25 permit and watch a 30 minute training seminar to participate in Florida's first big snake hunt. In the other corner, we have some of the largest constrictors in the world! Burmese pythons have camouflaged brown and black skin, can climb trees and stay underwater for up to 30 minutes. They've already reduced the local population of small native mammals such as rabbits, opossums, raccoons and bobcats by up to 99%. A few months ago, a 16-foot python was killed in Florida and found with a 76 lb. deer in it's stomach.
Perhaps, the hunt was really proposed by the pythons to cull the Redneck population.
Everglades National Park has been prudently closed to the general public from Jan. 12 to Feb. 10 for the duration of Python Challenge 2013. As of Thursday, the score stood Rednecks 21, Pythons 0. A record cold snap during the first two weeks of 2010 might have already killed off the pythons and left few to be found this year. The low temperatures are one reason the Python Challenge was held at this time. Wildlife officials hoped the cold-blooded snakes would sluggishly slither into the open to warm themselves in the sunlight. Personally, I think the obvious date to schedule a traditional snake drive would be St. Patrick's Day.
Python Challenge 2013 will pay prizes to the most successful snake hunters. The largest Burmese python killed will be worth $1,000. The hunter who kills the most pythons will win $1,500. Roadkill doesn't count. The rules followed by the pythons are unknown but probably similar.
The low number of snakes killed so far has not disappointed the organizers of Python Challenge 2013. They admit the hunt is unlikely to stem the population explosion of pythons in Florida. They say the hunt will teach a lot about Burmese pythons to the general public as well as the wildlife officials who are studying the problem.
The snake hunt has already attracted a couple of local celebrities. Democratic US Senator and beady-eyed-good-old-boy Bill Nelson futilely hunted the Everglades on Thursday. Another participant is self-made millionaire "Alligator Ron" Bergeron. Known for rodeo riding and gator wrestling, the 68-year-old rancher owns a fleet of air boats. However, he hunts pythons from a black air boat adorned with a portrait of him riding a gator.
So, has the state had any input into Python Challenge 2013? What does the Florida Wildlife Commission think of all this commotion in Everglades National Park? Oh. Alligator Ron is a Florida Wildlife Commissioner (Bark up the wrong tree, and you find a nut).
As the name suggests, Burmese pythons are native to southeast Asia. Ironically, they are endangered there because the snakes are killed for their skins and captured to sell as pets in ... wait for it ... America! About 99,000 Burmese pythons were imported to the US between 1996 and 2006 and were sold for as little as $20 each. When they grew up, or fell out of fashion, many of them were set free in the wild. The first Burmese python was spotted in the Everglades in 1979. However, the population didn't take off until 1992 when Hurricane Andrew hit a python breeder in Florida. The escaped pythons thrived in the isolated subtropical environment of southern Florida. And when a daddy snake finds a mommy snake and loves her very, very much (insert cheesy synthesizer music here). Female Burmese pythons can lay up to 100 eggs, and the hatchlings are larger and grow much faster than native Florida snakes.
The hunters are required to "humanely" kill their catches by shooting them in the head or decapitating them with a machete. Of course, the buzz killers at People for the Ethical Treatment of Animals don't see it that way. In a press release, PETA President Ingrid E. Newkirk states, "This bounty hunt is misguided in the first place, but allowing hunters to decapitate pythons, who remain alive and in agony and who will writhe for an hour even after their heads have been cut off - is despicably cruel. Many of these animals were once pets, who have since been thrown out like garbage, and the Florida Wildlife Commission has an obligation to ensure that they don't suffer any more than they already have."
What a stick-in-the-mud!
PETA called on Florida snake hunters to sheath their machetes and kill the pythons with a merciful gunshot to the head. Personally, I don't see how that is more humane. If the snake can writhe around for an hour without any head at all, then it's brain is not a vital organ. Then again, I could say the same about a lot of Rednecks. So, I suppose it's an even duel of wits out in the Everglades.
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Showing posts with label environment. Show all posts
Showing posts with label environment. Show all posts
Saturday, January 19, 2013
Thursday, November 29, 2012
No Sign of Birds
By Rainbow Starr
Environmental Reporter
PUNTA GORDA, FLORIDA - Part time residents of this area are called snowbirds. They live most of the year further North. They flock to SW Florida to escape the snow between Halloween and Easter.
The same is true for many actual birds in this area. They don't migrate through Florida in the spring and fall. This is actually their final destination. These birds are said to "winter over" until they fly North again in the spring. My recent sightings of several new ducks encouraged me to go bird watching again on Thursday afternoon. This time I ventured further inland. I spent several hours trooping around the trails at the Charlotte Harbor Environmental Center. Affectionately referred to as CHEC, it is a non-profit, private wildlife refuge at 10941 Burnt Store Road. It sits in the protected area around Charlotte Harbor that is likely to flood if the waters rise. So, I figured I should explore the place before global warming goes too far.
This was only my second visit to CHEC, and it may well be my last. Not only did I see few birds, for most of my hike, I didn't even HEAR any birds. Except for the rustling of leaves and branches in the wind, everything was completely silent. I felt like I was bird watching after the apocalypse.
I'm not saying there was no wildlife at the CHEC. During the first hour, I jumped out of my skin when a big black racer snake slithered noisily into the dry underbrush. During the second hour, my hiking companion almost stepped on a glass lizard. That legless green reptile looks just like a snake. It gets its name from the ability to snap off its tail to befuddle a predator. As the tail flaps by reflex in the jaws of an attacker, the main body of the glass lizard can slither away. I swear, the lizard actually sacrifices most of its body so the remainder can escape. This seems like a wasteful survival tactic to me. It is only surpassed by the local poisonous tree frogs. Any predator that swallows one of them dies with convulsions about 24 hours later. How does that help the frog? Their natural defense is to leave a bad aftertaste.
As a newly minted graduate of the Florida Master Naturalist Program, my fellow hiker found more to interest her at CHEC than I did. While I futilely scanned overhead for birds, she found mushrooms, moss, grass, coffee plants and exotic flowers one the ground. Many of these things were conveniently labeled by small signs and plaques by the side of the trails. We grew spoiled. When we found a sign about bald eagles, we were disappointed there wasn't one perched right behind it.
Some of the other signs at CHEC were less helpful and more puzzling.
This sign seemed to suggest that the hawk eats the sun to complete the circle of life.
Small white arrows helped us follow the hiking trails at CHEC. At one point, even these simple arrows seemed to lead us astray. The hiker in the photo below was justifiably confused about which sign to believe.
Seriously, why would the trail lead hikers into the jaws of alligators?
The trail blazers at CHEC employed the process of elimination with some of their signs. It may have been a bit overgrown, but that was definitely a trail beside this sign. I wasn't sure what to make of it. Were they hiding something down there? They may as well have posted a sign reading, "Turn back! There's nothing to see here! Move along!"
Many plaques and statues in Florida are just monuments to the people who paid for them. They do nothing to educate tourists. They are just covered with the names of the donors and fundraisers. On some of the wooden bridges and boardwalks at CHEC, every single timber is etched with the names and sentiments of contributors.
I didn't know Mr. Derrick. Unless he was a dried up, dead twig, this plaque doesn't do him justice.
Our futile hike ended at the CHEC observation blind. We quietly entered the back of the shack and sat at a large window overlooking a bunch of bird baths, bird houses and bird feeders. I felt like the witness of a crime sitting behind a one-way mirror on CSI. Unfortunately, the bird feeders were empty of seed as well as birds. At least we saw some vultures, herons and a bald eagle flying above the treetops. However, those are pretty easy to see anywhere in SW Florida.
Eventually, a solitary palm warbler arrived at the blind (one of the most abundant birds in SW Florida). He perched on a low branch and nervously looked around for about 10 minutes before dropping down to take a sip of water. When I stood to get a better view, the warbler flew away. Suspiciously, I walked around the front of the "observation blind." Sure enough, the birds could see us inside as clear as day. I don't think CHEC understands what "observation blind" really means.
We were leaving CHEC in abject defeat when we came upon a gopher tortoise munching on some grass. He was standing in the middle of some fire ant mounds. So, I have to salute the turtle's resolve even as I question his judgment. We also saw a large gator laying beside a pond near the visitor center.
The sun was literally setting as we walked to the parking lot. Of course, that's when CHEC sprang to life! We finally saw a red-shoulder hawk perched in the distance and a great horned owl, perched low beside the entry road. We even scared off a big, black wild pig that was rummaging around the CHEC administrative buildings. We saw more wildlife in the last five minutes of our hike than in the first three hours.
The forest was beautiful and the weather couldn't have been nicer. However, as a bird watching destination, the CHEC is a great place to see reptiles.
Environmental Reporter
PUNTA GORDA, FLORIDA - Part time residents of this area are called snowbirds. They live most of the year further North. They flock to SW Florida to escape the snow between Halloween and Easter.
The same is true for many actual birds in this area. They don't migrate through Florida in the spring and fall. This is actually their final destination. These birds are said to "winter over" until they fly North again in the spring. My recent sightings of several new ducks encouraged me to go bird watching again on Thursday afternoon. This time I ventured further inland. I spent several hours trooping around the trails at the Charlotte Harbor Environmental Center. Affectionately referred to as CHEC, it is a non-profit, private wildlife refuge at 10941 Burnt Store Road. It sits in the protected area around Charlotte Harbor that is likely to flood if the waters rise. So, I figured I should explore the place before global warming goes too far.
This was only my second visit to CHEC, and it may well be my last. Not only did I see few birds, for most of my hike, I didn't even HEAR any birds. Except for the rustling of leaves and branches in the wind, everything was completely silent. I felt like I was bird watching after the apocalypse.
I'm not saying there was no wildlife at the CHEC. During the first hour, I jumped out of my skin when a big black racer snake slithered noisily into the dry underbrush. During the second hour, my hiking companion almost stepped on a glass lizard. That legless green reptile looks just like a snake. It gets its name from the ability to snap off its tail to befuddle a predator. As the tail flaps by reflex in the jaws of an attacker, the main body of the glass lizard can slither away. I swear, the lizard actually sacrifices most of its body so the remainder can escape. This seems like a wasteful survival tactic to me. It is only surpassed by the local poisonous tree frogs. Any predator that swallows one of them dies with convulsions about 24 hours later. How does that help the frog? Their natural defense is to leave a bad aftertaste.
As a newly minted graduate of the Florida Master Naturalist Program, my fellow hiker found more to interest her at CHEC than I did. While I futilely scanned overhead for birds, she found mushrooms, moss, grass, coffee plants and exotic flowers one the ground. Many of these things were conveniently labeled by small signs and plaques by the side of the trails. We grew spoiled. When we found a sign about bald eagles, we were disappointed there wasn't one perched right behind it.
Some of the other signs at CHEC were less helpful and more puzzling.
This sign seemed to suggest that the hawk eats the sun to complete the circle of life.
Small white arrows helped us follow the hiking trails at CHEC. At one point, even these simple arrows seemed to lead us astray. The hiker in the photo below was justifiably confused about which sign to believe.
Many plaques and statues in Florida are just monuments to the people who paid for them. They do nothing to educate tourists. They are just covered with the names of the donors and fundraisers. On some of the wooden bridges and boardwalks at CHEC, every single timber is etched with the names and sentiments of contributors.
Our futile hike ended at the CHEC observation blind. We quietly entered the back of the shack and sat at a large window overlooking a bunch of bird baths, bird houses and bird feeders. I felt like the witness of a crime sitting behind a one-way mirror on CSI. Unfortunately, the bird feeders were empty of seed as well as birds. At least we saw some vultures, herons and a bald eagle flying above the treetops. However, those are pretty easy to see anywhere in SW Florida.
Eventually, a solitary palm warbler arrived at the blind (one of the most abundant birds in SW Florida). He perched on a low branch and nervously looked around for about 10 minutes before dropping down to take a sip of water. When I stood to get a better view, the warbler flew away. Suspiciously, I walked around the front of the "observation blind." Sure enough, the birds could see us inside as clear as day. I don't think CHEC understands what "observation blind" really means.
We were leaving CHEC in abject defeat when we came upon a gopher tortoise munching on some grass. He was standing in the middle of some fire ant mounds. So, I have to salute the turtle's resolve even as I question his judgment. We also saw a large gator laying beside a pond near the visitor center.
The sun was literally setting as we walked to the parking lot. Of course, that's when CHEC sprang to life! We finally saw a red-shoulder hawk perched in the distance and a great horned owl, perched low beside the entry road. We even scared off a big, black wild pig that was rummaging around the CHEC administrative buildings. We saw more wildlife in the last five minutes of our hike than in the first three hours.
The forest was beautiful and the weather couldn't have been nicer. However, as a bird watching destination, the CHEC is a great place to see reptiles.
Monday, October 1, 2012
People Caught by Squirrel Traps
By Rainbow Starr
Environmental Reporter
VENICE GARDENS, FLORIDA - A local man caught more than he bargained for when he set traps for the squirrels that were eating his mangoes.
About a half dozen neighbors protested against the traps on Friday. They alleged that the traps break squirrel tails and the trapper drowns the squirrels. The trapper said he only shot one squirrel and threw the carcass in a nearby canal. Mostly, he relocates the squirrels safely to another parcel of his land. An experienced hunter, he said this practice is approved by the state Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission.
The trapper also set camouflaged motion-activated cameras in his mango tree. He said they captured photos of neighbors trespassing on his property to free squirrels from his traps. On Friday, neighbors complained that the trapper was depleting wildlife in their neighborhood, which is a designated bird sanctuary. They gave written complaints to a Sarasota County Animal Services officer. The officer said she did not detect any legal violations and would pass the buck up to the Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission.
As an experienced hunter, the trapper should've realized that planting mango trees created a new ecosystem that started an extensive food chain. The mangoes attracted squirrels. The squirrels attracted squirrel traps. The squirrel traps attracted animal lovers. The animal lovers attracted the County Animal Services Officer. And now, the county officer will attract the state Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission. Next comes a US Forest Ranger, and then the United Nations World Health Organization.
Isn't it beautiful, how everyone on Mother Earth is connected by a worldwide web of life and government bureaucracies?
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