Report Documents the Risks of Giant Invasive Snakes in the U.S

Product Type: Web Site/Page

Year: 2009

Author(s): Puckett, C., G. Rodda, and R. Reed

Suggested Citation:
Puckett, C., G. Rodda, and R. Reed. 2009. Report Documents the Risks of Giant Invasive Snakes in the U.S. http://www.usgs.gov/newsroom/article.asp?ID=2324.

Abstract

Five giant non-native snake species would pose high risks to the health of ecosystems in the United States should they become established here, according to a U.S. Geological Survey (USGS) report released today. The USGS report details the risks of nine non-native boa, anaconda and python species that are invasive or potentially invasive in the United States. Because all nine species share characteristics associated with greater risks, none was found to be a low ecological risk. Two of these species are documented as reproducing in the wild in South Florida, with population estimates for Burmese pythons in the tens of thousands...