Why is the FWC instituting a permit program to search for Burmese pythons?
This nonnative species to Florida has spread throughout the Everglades. Except for alligators and crocodiles, adult Burmese pythons have no predators in Florida. Pythons have consumed a wide variety of native and nonnative wildlife, and they have the capacity to adversely impact vulnerable species, such as the Key Largo woodrat and other listed species. The FWC manages lands for wildlife on the python’s northern-most range and offers permit holders the opportunity to search for and remove Burmese pythons to bring valuable data to scientists and assist in managing the species in Florida.
