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Pythons in Paradise:

st
A 21 Century Silent Spring

How one invasive predator is reshaping
Florida’s ecosystem—

and what local scientists are
by Tim L. Tetzlaff,
Director of Conservation, doing about it.
Naples Zoo at Caribbean Gardens
n 1962, Rachel Carson’s Silent Understanding Python Behavior With more than a
Spring warned of a world where quarter million dollars already invested into the Conservancy’s
I DDT left landscapes intact but groundbreaking research and python removal efforts, Naples
emptied them of life. Today, right Zoo is proud to support Bartoszek’s work and the “Sentinel
here in Southwest Florida, we face a Snake” method he’s refined. Because pythons are so elusive, male
different kind of silence—not from sentinel snakes with radio transmitters are used to locate and
chemicals, but from the invasion remove females. Along with numerous scientific publications,
of Burmese pythons. Our trees still the Conservancy’s small team has removed over 36,000 pounds
stand. Our wetlands still flow. But of pythons. No small feat—each pound carried out on the backs
where native mammals once thrived, of this local team through extreme conditions.
the landscape has fallen hauntingly silent. As native wildlife populations plummet, the National Park
The invasion began quietly. In 1979, when I was just eleven, Service and US Geological Survey team at Big Cypress studies
what is now the Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation python behavior to identify weaknesses that could improve
Commission (FWC) recorded Florida’s first python in the wild. Few removal efforts. With lessons shared from Conservancy’s pioneering work,
imagined the damage these invaders would cause in just decades. And they also track pythons with radio telemetry. In 2024 alone, Naples Zoo’s
‘big’ doesn’t begin to describe them. Ian Bartoszek, wildlife biologist Dr. Kelsie Stovall performed 13 surgeries to implant radio transmitters. In
and Science Coordinator for the Conservancy of Southwest Florida, the field, Dr. Stovall and staff have also x-rayed multiple pythons, confirming
can attest to that. He and his team captured a python that shattered they had swallowed deer.
records, weighing 215 pounds and stretching nearly 18 feet in length— Bringing Back the Wild Supporting conservation efforts through Naples
longer than a typical giraffe is tall. More alarming, it carried a record 122 Zoo’s Conservation Fund—specifically earmarked for pythons at napleszoo.
developing eggs. Ian has documented deer over 75 pounds inside these org/donate—directly funds removal, research, and habitat protection. Targeted
giants. Most shocking is that a six-foot python—barely three years old— equipment purchases can help keep boots on the ground when they’re needed
can swallow newborn fawns. It takes little imagination to consider the most. And if you see a Burmese python, call the Exotic Species Hotline at
impact on Florida panthers who depend on deer for their food. 1-888-IVE-GOT1 (1-888-483-4681)
An Ecosystem Transformed This crisis extends beyond a few giant A Future of Florida’s Wildlife As dangerous as DDT ended up being,
pythons. There are tens of thousands, and they’re often closer than we its health impacts have largely dissipated, and its persistence will decline
imagine. In areas populated with pythons, 15 of 16 studied mammal even more over the next 100 years. Burmese pythons, however, will forever
species have suffered dramatic declines: Marsh rabbits have been wiped be a permanent part of the Florida landscape. These management efforts
out with raccoons and opossums barely hanging on. Bobcats dropped aim to help native wildlife survive this transition, in hopes that remaining
nearly 90%, facing the dual threat of losing their prey—and becoming populations adapt to a predator that was never part of their history. As little
prey themselves. With coordination by National Park Service biologist as we knew about what pythons would do when I was eleven, we know even
Matthew McCollister, Big Cypress National Preserve and the US less about what Florida will look like in 100 years. But whether you're a
Geological Survey continue to monitor these declines, build on past longtime resident or new to the Paradise Coast, you can help restore hope
research, and track ongoing ecological shifts in areas impacted by pythons. for a landscape where Florida’s wild beauty endures. Balanced, thriving, and
These losses may ripple up to us. With fewer raccoons and opossums, alive for generations to come.
mosquitoes turn to cotton rats, a primary reservoir for Everglades virus. Contact me at tim@napleszoo.org
While human cases remain rare, University of Florida researchers have To learn more or support these efforts, visit NaplesZoo.org/conserve
noted genetic mutations in the virus, prompting closer monitoring of
potential human health effects.
Together, we can create a brighter, more resilient future for people and wildlife.
Naples Zoo at Caribbean Gardens is a private 501(c)(3) nonprofit entrusted with educating families and caring for rare species in a century old historic garden. Since 2014, Naples
Zoo has invested over $3.5 million saving plants and animals in the wild and fully funds the annual salary of 27 field staff in 7 countries including three wildlife veterinarians.
To learn more about how you can invest in a better future for people and wildlife, email tim@napleszoo.org.
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