Phython bites off more than it can chew

Alligators have clashed with pythons before in Florida’s Everglades National Park. But when two of the reptiles clashed recently , the result was not pretty.

The 13ft snake apparently tried to swallow the 6ft alligator whole – and then exploded. Last week a wildlife researcher discovered the python’s remains with the alligator’s hindquarters protruding from its midsection, its stomach still surrounding the alligator’s head, shoulders, and forelimbs.

The incident has alerted biologists to new potential dangers from Burmese pythons in the Everglades.

“Clearly, if they can kill an alligator they can kill other species,” said Frank Mazzotti, a University of Florida wildlife professor, who is concerned that the encroachment of Burmese pythons into the Everglades could threaten a multi-billion dollar restoration project and endanger smaller species.

The Asian snakes have thrived in the wet, hot climate and have battled the alligators with increasing frequency – Everglade scientists have documented four encounters in the last three years.

The alligators have had to share their territory with the Burmese python population that has swelled over the past 20 years with owners dropping off pythons that they no longer want in the Everglades.

“Encounters like that are almost never seen in the wild. … And here we are, it’s happened for the fourth time,” Mr Mazzotti said. In the other cases, the alligator won or the battle was an apparent draw.

“They were probably evenly matched in size,” Mr Mazzotti said of the latest battle. “If the python got a good grip on the alligator before the alligator got a good grip on him, he could win.”

The Burmese snake problem is just part of a larger issue of non-native animal populations in South Florida. So many iguanas have been discarded in the region that they are gobbling tropical flowers and causing problems for botanists.