Python On The Loose In South Tampa
A python is on the loose in South Tampa, so if you’re out walking your dog, you may wanna take extra caution. Make sure you check your surroundings. It isn’t a Burmese Python, but a Ball Python. The Ball Python is non-native to Florida and was spotted in the South Tampa Belmar Gardens neighborhood last week. A resident was walking his dog when he noticed something strange and didn’t know what it was because it was camouflage. He told WFLA, “I wasn’t that scared, but just surprised, so I took a picture in a couple of videos, and it was completely motionless. The dogs didn’t really notice it, but it noticed us.“
So, with a python on the loose in South Tampa make sure you look closer at your surroundings. The person said it was motionless and blended into the environment. It is most likely that the ball python with someone’s pet that I’ve gotten out of or was abandoned by the homeowner. All pythons are non-venomous and usually eat small mammals.
The big difference between Ball and Burmese Pythons is that Ball Pythons only reach 4-5 feet on average. Burmese Pythons can get to lengths of over 15 feet and they may exceed 22 feet.
Burmese Pythons In Florida
Burmese Pythons are an invasive species in Florida. They are native to Southeast Asia but we were released into the wild in the 1980’s and their population has grown ever since. They can grow up to 20 feet long and they are Apex predators. That means that they are at the top of the food chain and they pray on animals like birds and reptiles. Pythons have been devastating Florida’s ecosystem. The population of raccoons opossum and bobcats have declined by over 90% in some areas of the Everglades. The FWC has a program to control the population. The python challenge is one of those programs.
According to AZ Animals the population of Burmese Pythons in the state of Florida is over 300,000. That number rises every year. The largest python ever captured in Florida was over 18 feet long.
The 5 Most Dangerous Animals In Florida
Great White Shark
Yes, Great White Sharks are found in the waters around Florida. A almost 1,200 pound shark that was almost 13 feet in length was tracked back in March of this year.
Bull Shark
#1 and #2 on the list are sharks. They are in the Gulf of Mexico and the Atlantic Ocean. They grow to about 11 feet and can live about 24 years.
Alligator
Alligators live in all 67 counties in Florida. You can find alligators in any body of water including lakes, ponds, rivers, marshes, swamps and man-made canals. We’ve seen multiple reports this year of gator attacks, even some fatal ones.
Eastern Dimondback Rattlesnake
They are found in pine flatwoods, longleaf pine and turkey oak hammocks, sand pine scrub areas, and coastal barrier islands. Yes it is venomous.
Cottonmouth Snake
It is venomous and can be found throughout Florida. It is called a cottonmouth because of the white color of the inside of its mouth.
