Python hunting

Just some interesting research (well, interesting to me anyway)

Quote:

Researchers at Davidson and the U.S. Geological Survey trapped six Burmese pythons in Florida and placed radio transmitters in them. They then took them 13 to 20 miles away and released them.

The snakes immediately headed back, taking "direct and striking" routes, said Kristen Hart, a research ecologist with the USGS in Gainesville, Fla.

It took the snakes 94 to 296 days to return but eventually they navigated to within 3 miles of their original capture locations in Everglades National Park.

The research shows that moving the snakes won't work as a control strategy. "You can't move them. Quite honestly, they're going to move back to where they came from," Hart said.

No one knew Burmese pythons were capable of homing.

http://www.usatoday.com/story/news/nation/2014/03/18/burmese-pythons-florida-homing-ability/6569103/

Quote: rxwine

Just some interesting research (well, interesting to me anyway)

Animal navigation over long ranges was very important in our work as well. Whales have the ability to use acoustic techniques to navigate with extreme accuracy, and head directly for an objective hundreds of miles away.

Elephants generate subsonic waves to indicate that they are in heat (a very rare occurence) and signal to available bulls.

I wonder if pythons have sensitivity to magnetic fields.

Florida officials estimate over 150,000 pythons are in the Everglades and will be impossible to exterminate. Citizen volunteer Python Patrols are being trained to keep the population down.

Quote: Fleastiff

Citizen volunteer Python Patrols are being trained to keep the population down.

Rumors that people hunt alligators there by putting the youngest kid on a rope in the water are probably not completely without merit.

Not sure what the best bait for a snake would be.

I think the problem is that alligators and pythons eat so rarely.

Quote:

No one knew Burmese pythons were capable of homing

Face can do this too! *j/k*

taking a shot like that, I am now obligated to make a confession. There are a lot of guys who have a better sense of direction than I do [mine is strong and inaccurate, geez]. But I do say that making myself learn how to use a compass etc. has me pretty informed on what is possible.

Quote: Pacomartin

I wonder if pythons have sensitivity to magnetic fields.

I've not ever been to Burma and realize that it now does not even exist, its Myanmar or something, I think.

I think its dense jungle type. Travel with several good machetes or don't travel at all. So I think there would be no sun clues on a jungle floor if there is a dense canopy and therefore any long distance travel would have to be magnetic orientation since the direction of the sun would not be determinable early in the day.

I don't know if pythons hunt by sight or by odors but most snakes can sense heat in a short range and most can sense direction of prey flight by measuring the difference is direction that chemicals first reach them.

I think they should return the eradication program to a limited number of bounty hunters.

I think it's sort of laughable. "Eradication program". Name me one invasive species we've had any success even controlling, let alone eradicating.

If you were to look inside a snake's mouth, you'd see a groove where the snake's forked tongue fits. This taste/smell sense is a snake's most powerful. Just like a hound or a mole or just about every other animal, it is its primary sense in hunting. Some can sense infra-red, but only those with the pits along its mouth. I don't recall which python is overrunning the Everglades so don't know if it's applicable. Not all pythons have them.

They also don't eat often. As Flea said, a large meal will sate them for a month, even in high temps that raise their metabolism. And in times of want, they can kill their metabolism to last the food drought.

I imagine any hunt would be a very active affair. You're not likely to bait them out, as it could be weeks before they even think of eating. I'd hit hot spots first, as in, literally hot. Places near water but on dry land, where they can lay out and soak in the sun to aid digestion. After that, it's gonna be a dig. Lifting logs, sifting through grass mats, all the typical stuff you do when hunting any snake. Of course, there's the water, too, but not sure even I would want to tangle there, unless it's smaller than an 8 footer.

Still checking the mail for an invite to the hunt. So far, no correspondence from FleaStiff ;)

Quote: Face

Of course, there's the water, too, but not sure even I would want to tangle there, unless it's smaller than an 8 footer.

We'll set you up with an air boat, a rubber suit, and a Bowie knife and drop you in the middle of the Everglades.

(we, meaning my imaginary team of snake hunters)

Quote: Face

Still checking the mail for an invite to the hunt. So far, no correspondence from FleaStiff ;)

Angie is way to smart to ever set her toes inside my cardboard box...and would undoubtedly arrive well armed if she did. 'Sides my favorite fish is a bright yellow Gordon...comes in either fillets or sticks.