Burmese python research project

Question
QUESTION: I am required to do a Florida environmental issue for a science/history project and was wondering if an educated snake expert could answer some questions for the interview segment of my project. If you are available please send a confirmation e-mail to . Thank you so much.
-Daelynn Murphy

ANSWER: I am sorry for the delay. All the questions have been going to my spam for some reason and just get lost.

If info is still needed, I can provide only a handful of info legally. As there is a trial going on and I can not effect that in anyway negatively. But otherwise, send me your questions and I would be happy to help.

---------- FOLLOW-UP ----------

QUESTION: Thank you,
1. When did pythons first begin invading the Everglades?
2. Why did pythons acclimate so well to the florida Everglades?
3. Why did people begin releasing their unwanted pets in the Everglades?
4. How has the population of Burmese pythons changed over the past 5, 10, 20 years?
5. Which species have the snakes effected most?
6. When did florida first recognize the pythons as a problem?
7. Are there any species that have benefitted from the python's arrival?
8. Why have people began taking the pythons away from the Everglades, what have the pythons negatively affected during their inhabitation?

Answer
The true number of burms will never be known, although it is far lower than the tv shows try And make it out to be.

It is also hard to say what damage has been done by them, honestly worst thing is someone's cat gets eaten.. the lion fish and snake heads are posing a far bigger threat than the Burmese pythons are, but they make a good tv show so it is dramatically drawn out, as far as their presence and destruction goes.

And no one really knows when Florida decided they were a issue. Florida has many invasive animals, all of which have been around for years and years. And over night, it seems all of a sudden they become this massive problem. Same thing happened recently with their monitor population.

And they are being removed to try and prevent and damage or further damage to the everglades. Even if the Burmese was not causing harm, it is still a unwanted and invasive species down there. People don't seem to appreciate when a 9 foot snake is in their tree out front.