Florida Panther Species

A group of researchers collected data to support the theory that the overpopulation of snakes is killing off the mammal population. Ashley Townsend, National Geographic writes, “the python population has continued to grow at a remarkable rate and has caused great distress to the park 's ecosystem.” For this study, the researchers at the South Florida Water Management District recorded the rates of live and dead mammals during a nocturnal road survey and compared it to the 1996-1997 road surveys. Scientists for the South Florida Management District, stated, “Researchers noted that the animals in the park were dying at a greater rate since the python population has gotten so enormous.”

Attributed to the release of the exotic pet, the encroachment of the voracious species has already demonstrated its appetite for the indigenous fauna of the Everglades. It is now feared that with their migration to the Florida Keys, the

Since then, between deforestation, unregulated hunting prior to 1950’s, habitat loss and habitat fragmentation, have resulted in the loss of a substantial portion of the Florida black bear population and 80% of its habitat. As a result, in 1974 the black bear was listed by the state of Florida as a threatened species in through-out the state with the exception of The Apalachicola National Forest and Baker and Columbia counties. At that time all hunting for Black Bears in the state of Florida was suspended until future notice.

One can conclude that the alligator has been superbly adaptable to change. In the late 1800’s it became very common to hunt alligators for their skin. The “gator” population began to decrease and even disappeared from certain areas around the southern east side of the United States (a place where they used to thrive by the millions). It is estimated that between 1930 and 1940, more than 1 million alligators were killed in Florida. In the late 1940’s people began to fear that alligators would become extinct which is why laws were passed in states where alligators lived, only allowing the hunting of “gators” during certain times of the year and with specific permits. In the late 1950’s people realized that the laws were not being held with high standards and states such as Louisiana declared it illegal to kill alligators. The campaign to save the alligator was finally working and by the mid 1970’s the alligator was taken off the U.S. endangered species list. Today, alligators are thriving, however certain geographical areas such as the everglades, are becoming more populated by humans; thus, increasing interactions between humans and alligators. This could destroy their habitat and endanger the

Thought to have been first introduced into the wild via pet owners (Dorcas & Wilson, 20011) have caused significant declines in mammal populations. An observational study conducted by Dorcas et al (2012), found a 90% reduction in encounter rates of a number of species including racoon, opossums, bob cats and white tailed deer over the period 2003-2011 in which Burmese python populations have increased. The introduction of the Burmese python has also caused a significant decline in bird species. A study conducted by Dove et al (2011) found remains of 25 different species of birds in the digestive tracts of 85 Burmese pythons collected from 2003-2008, 4 of which are of special concern in Florida and 1 the ‘Wood Stork’ is listed as endangered. Preying on native wildlife and competing with native predators has impacted the food web and trophic level dynamics of the ecological

[Thesis and preview]: Today I am going to share with you a quick history lesson, talk about where these animals currently roam, and explain several threats that this growing population currently faces.

As an invasive species, the Burmese python has an immense impact on the native populations of the Everglades. In the last 20 years, observations of mammals in the Everglades have declined by 95% while the number of non-native Burmese pythons in the park has significantly increased (Sovie et al. 2016). Data from game cameras used in a study by Willson support this observation, showing the spatial pattern of mammal abundance being inversely correlated with spatial expansion of Burmese pythons in the Everglades (Willson 2017).

Tom Logan who is chief of wildlife research for the Florida Game and Freshwater Fish Commission stated that civilization is the main threat to the survival of the panther." The panthers are being wiped out along with their homeland that is being surrounded by new and upcoming developments. Specifically, the highway is the biggest threat to the Florida panther. Nine panthers have been killed in the last eight years. Plans to complete Interstate - 75 by making it a two-lane toll road called "Alligator Alley" were put on hold because of the community's concern for the panther.

recently become detrimental to many wildlife species. These house cats are responsible for the deaths of

There have been purchases of lands that are becoming protected for habitat space, as well as the large scale recoveries of forests that were devastated and ravaged due to over logging. The recovery of our forests will allow for an increase in the population of prey for these panthers and allow a flourishing ecosystem to help them. Public opinion has also changed. From being scared of them and killing them, people are now aware of the potential that this species could go extinct and have made efforts towards wildlife conservation and more legal protection that is backed by the Endangered Species Act. Furthermore, The Florida Panther Recovery Team has continued to work hard in preservation efforts as well as being able to now correctly assess habitats that are safe and productive for the Florida Panther to once again grow in. Unfortunately, only about 11% of reintroductions end in the species successfully recreating and increasing in numbers. Increases in technology is also however helping this team accurately track and study the patterns of the Panther in hopes of being able to find ways in to increase the odds of the species surviving once it is reintroduced into an

Humans have caused another extinction, one that could possibly take us down in the process, species are exponentially going extinct because of habitat loss, species exportation, and invasive species bullying native species. On the other hand, scientists are trying to safe guard native species, keep animals in captivity whether it be for the animals well-being or for research, and widespread invasion. In this essay I will be comparing and contrasting “What Everglades Pythons and Other Invasive Species are Trying to Tell Us,” by Julia Whitty and “The Sixth Extinction,” by Jeff Corwin.

When animals are voluntary or involuntary let into the wild many native species can become threatened by animals that, in the foreign ecosystem, have no natural predators. Pythons in Florida is a great

To conclude, the FWC (Florida Wildlife Conservation Commission) also wants to mind people that any exotic pet should never be released into the Florida waters, or land. People need to realize that when you own an exotic animal and don't want the responsibility of caring for it anymore, you need to take it to an animal shelter or a good owner that has the ability and supplies to fill their needs. Letting them go, into the wild could be detrimental to other animals or plants in the

Animal extinction is big a threat to some animal species. According to the text “ The Impact of Animal Protection”, many nature parks have supervised breeding programs that allow numbers to increase. Many people think that animals should be able to repopulate by themselves. Keeping animals protected has proven to be beneficial and increase the populations of endangered animals. According to the text “The Impact of Animal Protection” these programs have helped bring several animals - black footed

However, they disagree on whether or not it is harming the wildlife populations in those areas. Terris says “roads and sprawling neighborhoods are replacing pristine wildlife habitats at an alarming pace, putting the survival and reproduction of plants and animals at risk.” Terris also believes it may be “the problem for U.S. wildlife in the 21st century”. (Terris) According to Terris, one victim of sprawl is the Florida panther, which has been reduced to a population of 30 to 50 adults. Furthermore, in the Sonoran Desert many plant species are affected, which also affects the animals that rely on those plants. She goes on to give numerous examples of animals and plants that are being harmed that spreads across the U.S., supporting the fact it is widespread.