For the first time, Burmese python hatchlings have been reported in the Florida Keys.
- FWC: Burmese python hatchlings reported in Keys
- Burmese pythons have been reported in Keys for a while
- Several hatchlings seen in Key Largo
The hatchlings were seen on Key Largo, state wildlife officials said Thursday, suggesting that the snakes are reproducing on or near the island.
An 18-inch-long Burmese python was found Aug. 2 and another of similar size a day later, the Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission said. A third hatchling was found Aug. 23 in north Key Largo.
The sightings are the first known hatchling-sized Burmese pythons found in Key Largo. They suggest that pythons have reproduced in the Keys, though no nests or eggs have been reported, FWC officials said.
“While we have documented Burmese pythons in the Keys for a while now, this is the first time we have documentation of hatchlings in the area,” FWC official Kristen Sommers said in a news release.
This 18-inch-long python was found in north Key Largo on Aug. 23, 2016. (Courtesy of Jeremy Dixon, U.S. Fish and Widllife Service via FWC)
Postcards are being sent to Key Largo residents, asking for help in finding the snakes and providing a number to call if one is spotted.
"We worry about pythons becoming established in the Keys because there are several at-risk populations of small mammals, like the Key Largo woodrat and the Key Largo cotton mouse, that would be easy prey for Burmese pythons,” Bryan Falk, a biologist with the United States Geological Survey, said in the release.
Residents and visitors who see Burmese pythons are encouraged to call FWC’s Exotic Species Reporting Hotline at 888-Ive-Got1 (888-483-4681), go to IveGot1.org or to download the “IveGot1” smartphone app.