The burgeoning 150,000-snake python population in Florida's Everglades National Park threatens crops, livestock, and native animals. And, as the July 1 story of the toddler killed by a pet python demonstrates, the snakes can also threaten human lives. The snake overpopulation began when python owners discarded their unwanted pets in the wild; now, lawmakers are pushing for legislation to combat this invasive species. Not surprisingly, there is disagreement over the best way to do it. Florida Senator Bill Nelson, who filed a bill in February to ban the importation of Burmese pythons, told a Senate panel on Wednesday that the snakes are slithering their way into a wider geographical area.
Then he explained in graphic detail how a pet python... strangled a toddler in her crib last week in a town northwest of Orlando. ''It's just a matter of time before one of these snakes gets to a visitor in ...
