The predators died in the clash
An unusual clash between a 6-foot (1.8m) alligator and a 13-foot (3.9m) python has left two of the deadliest predators dead in Florida's swamps.
The Burmese python tried to swallow its fearsome rival whole but then exploded.
The remains of the two giant reptiles were found by astonished rangers in the Everglades National Park.
The rangers say the find suggests that non-native Burmese pythons might even challenge alligators' leading position in the food chain in the swamps.
Clearly, if they can kill an alligator they can kill other species
Prof Frank Mazzotti
The python's remains were found with the victim's tail protruding from its burst midsection. The head of the python was missing.
"Encounters like that are almost never seen in the wild... And here we are," Frank Mazzotti, a University of Florida wildlife professor, was quoted as saying by the Associated Press news agency.
"They were probably evenly matched in size. If the python got a good grip on the alligator before the alligator got a good grip on him, he could win," Professor Mazzotti said.
He said the alligator may have clawed at the python's stomach, leading it to burst.
"Clearly, if they can kill an alligator they can kill other species," Prof Mazzotti said.
He said that there had been four known encounters between the two species in the past. In the other cases, the alligator won or the battle was an apparent draw.
Burmese pythons - many of whom have been dumped by their owners - have thrived in the wet and hot climate of Florida's swamps over the past 20 years.
I have had enough of these alligator swallowing snakes, on this swamp.
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Dude, that article is 3 years old. Doesn't make it any less freaky...
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ExarKun wrote:If the snakes are not supposed to be in the ecosystem, why don't they kill them? Preferably Klingon-on-tribbles style
Do you know how hard it is to find a snake in the Everglades? Rangers do kill pythons and destroy their nests whenever they find them, but there are far more places for the snakes to hide then there are rangers to find them. And on top of that, there's a constant supply of new pythons being dumped by morons who thought a 20 foot snake would be an awesome pet.
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It doesn't help that these introduced species positively thrive in their new ecosystems. Florida is fucking perfect for pythons and, unlike Springfield, there's no oncoming winter to kill them (or the apes that will be introduced to take care of them) off.
I wonder how these foreign Burmese pythons are treating the native snakes. If the native snakes are facing competition, or if there's no competition since North America doesn't really have native giant boa/pythons to compete with these foreign snakes.
I'd love to see these pythons introduced to South America. Maybe if a python really does try to eat an anaconda, that'll make Sci-Fi shut up with its shitty monster movies...
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It's like a B-movie fight. The recent Life in Cold Blood documentary by Attenborough showed a huge anaconda eating a buffalo. That was quite surreal, especially when it's one meal per annum.
It must be fucking painful for a snake to eat something so large.
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ExarKun wrote:If the snakes are not supposed to be in the ecosystem, why don't they kill them? Preferably Klingon-on-tribbles style
Do you know how hard it is to find a snake in the Everglades? Rangers do kill pythons and destroy their nests whenever they find them, but there are far more places for the snakes to hide then there are rangers to find them. And on top of that, there's a constant supply of new pythons being dumped by morons who thought a 20 foot snake would be an awesome pet.
Oh, so they do kill them...I kind of figured it would be difficult to find them
How did it lose its head? From the picture it looks like the alligator was a good ways down the python's belly before the latter's midsection tore open.
Wow, I'd seen that picture before, but I didn't know the story behind it, or that it was from Florida.
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At least the Nile Monitors might be able to help out by eating the Pythons.
Zor
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Shinova wrote:How did it lose its head? From the picture it looks like the alligator was a good ways down the python's belly before the latter's midsection tore open.
I hear that some animals eat carrion now.
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Talk about biting off more than you can chew. (Yes, I know snakes can't chew, and must swallow their meals whole.) From the picture, it looks like the snake burst in more than one place. I wonder if snakes have a way to tell whether or not something is too big for them to eat?
Those gun nuts do not understand the meaning of "overkill," and will simply use weapon after weapon of mass destruction (WMD) until the monster is dead, or until they run out of weapons.
They have more WMD than there are monsters for us to fight. (More insanity here.)
Sidewinder wrote: Talk about biting off more than you can chew. (Yes, I know snakes can't chew, and must swallow their meals whole.) From the picture, it looks like the snake burst in more than one place. I wonder if snakes have a way to tell whether or not something is too big for them to eat?
I'm pretty sure they are usually okay if it fits in the mouth.
The Article wrote:"They were probably evenly matched in size. If the python got a good grip on the alligator before the alligator got a good grip on him, he could win," Professor Mazzotti said.
He said the alligator may have clawed at the python's stomach, leading it to burst.
"Clearly, if they can kill an alligator they can kill other species," Prof Mazzotti said.
Clearly, we're going to have to deal with the python issue by introducing yet another foreign species into the environment. Here's my idea. We get a bunch of Orangutans, but, from the time they are young, put them through a harsh psychological conditioning program which would result in them having an intense hatred of pythons. The apes breed, thrive, and hunt the snakes.
Zor wrote:At least the Nile Monitors might be able to help out by eating the Pythons.
Zor
The local animal control society here in Sacramento actually has one right now, and it's up for grabs (or they did last time I checked). I thought about it, but those are some vicious little bastards. They're a beautiful lizard though, probably the best looking I've seen.
Superman wrote:The local animal control society here in Sacramento actually has one right now, and it's up for grabs (or they did last time I checked). I thought about it, but those are some vicious little bastards. They're a beautiful lizard though, probably the best looking I've seen.
Don't get it. Not only are they vicious little bastards, but they can be quite a handful to properly house, feed, and heat. These things are best left to insane people such as myself to raise.
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Talk about biting off more than you can chew. (Yes, I know snakes can't chew, and must swallow their meals whole.) From the picture, it looks like the snake burst in more than one place. I wonder if snakes have a way to tell whether or not something is too big for them to eat?
