Interior Secretary Ken Salazar announced the ban Tuesday on Burmese pythons, which has become one of the most notorious invasive species in U.S. history, as well as yellow anacondas and northern and southern African pythons.

“It does us no good to put in these billions of dollars in investments in the Everglades only to have these giant constrictor snakes come in and undo the good that we are doing,” said Salazar, who was joined by U.S. Senator Bill Nelson, D-Fla., and a captive 13-foot Burmese python. “The action we’re taking today is a milestone in the protection of the Everglades.”

Salazar added that the new ban would take effect within about 60 days and make it illegal to import the snakes or transport them across state lines.

Despite the government’s efforts to protect the Everglades from the four nonnative snake types, some conservationists said an additional five other species that were recommended to be banned should have been included on the list.

“While we are pleased that four extremely harmful constrictor species will no longer be allowed into this country, we are disappointed that five of the proposed snakes were not included in the rule,” said Peter Jenkins, spokesman for the National Environmental Coalition on Invasive Species in a statement. “The snakes that were excluded pose a serious threat to our already fragile ecosystems and to humans. If your boat is leaking, why would you only plug some of the holes?”

As previously reported, Pythons have become a growing problem in Florida’s revered swampland as they consume native wildlife and compete with native predators. Biologists say most pythons in the Everglades are thought to have been released there by their owners once they realized that the “pets” can grow from just a foot to 12 feet long within their first two years of life.

One was found last October to have just consumed an adult deer.

Here is a local news clip discussing the snake ban and its effect on the Everglades:

via Sun-Sentinel

Everglades Snake Situation Prompts Federal Import Ban of Burmese Pythons and Three Other Snakes is a post from: The Inquisitr

The Sun-Sentinel reported the adult 76-pound female deer was found – amazingly fully intact – inside the snake after the reptile was captured and killed Thursday on a tree island in western Miami-Dade County.

Although pythons have been discovered with deer remains before, this is the first time such a snake was caught immediately after it consumed a deer, allowing biologists to see the size prey a python is truly capable of eating.

“This is clearly an extreme event,” explained Skip Snow, a biologist and python specialist at Everglades National Park who conducted the necropsy. “It shows you they can eat huge things.”

According to Snow’s measurements, the 16-foot-python had a girth of 44 inches with the deer in its stomach.

Burmese pythons have been breeding in the Everglades over the past several years after pet owners released pythons that had grown too large or escaped from enclosures during Hurricane Andrew, the Sun Sentinel said.

Officials say the killing of the giant python was necessary to help stop the spread of the species further north.

Image and Source: Sun-Sentinel

Deer-Eating 16-Foot Python Captured in Everglades is a post from: The Inquisitr

Beast versus Beats, its a grudge match at the top of the food in the Miami everglades. A 13 foot Burmese python literally exploded after it bit off more than it could chew trying to swallow a six foot alligator, which was both whole and alive at the time.

The left over bits or evidence was filmed by a biologist in a helicopter.

According to wildlife experts over the last few the years, many pythons have been abandoned in the Everglades by pet owners. These pythons go on to kill the native wildlife, and it was hoped that the alligators may be able to control the python outbreak. But on this occasion it looks like a nil all draw.

Python Vs Gator is a post from: The Inquisitr