E-mail updates
Follow on Twitter
Subscribe to RSS
Erik S. Lesser / EPA
Python hunter Edward Mercer searches through the Southern Glades area of the Everglades outside Florida City, Florida. Pictures taken March 24 and 25, 2012 and made available today.
Erik S. Lesser / EPA
Mercer searches through the vast Southern Glades.
European Pressphoto Agency reports — Meet 39-year-old Edward Mercer, one of a handful of permitted python hunters in South Florida.
Since the 1990s, non-native Burmese pythons, one of the world's largest species of snake, have been flourishing in the Everglades National Park and surrounding areas. Pet owners have been known to release the snakes into the wild, where they quickly revert to their natural state.
Crocodiles thrive as neighbors of Florida nuclear plant
Burmese pythons are voracious feeders and prey on the native wildlife of the Everglades, including American alligators, raccoons, rabbits, bobcats and many different birds. The National Park Service is concerned about the impact of the pythons on the delicate ecosystem of the area.
Mercer doesn't get paid for hunting the snakes, but says he enjoys the rush of finding and capturing the elusive, semi-aquatic pythons. To date, he has caught 26 Burmese pythons, the largest of which was 12 feet long and weighed in at 43 pounds. When he finds one, he turns it over to the state or federal wildlife authorities, depending on where it was found.
According to the Park Service, more than 1,800 Burmese pythons have been removed from the Everglades since 2002.
Erik S. Lesser / EPA
Mercer sets up an automated camera for homeowner Marty Ward in West Palm Beach. He searches for pythons in residential areas when contacted by concerned homeowners.
Erik S. Lesser / EPA
Mercer handles one of his pet Burmese pythons at his home in Tamarac. He owns seven snakes, including two pythons. Mercer was afraid of snakes until someone gave him one.
Leave a Comment:
This photo of him holding a Burmese Python, brings back to mind of a story I once heard.
A man saw a snake laying along side the road during winter. So he picked the snake up, it was so very cold, almost dead. So he put the snake inside his coat to help warm it. The snake eventually warmed and life came back into it. Then the snake then bit the mans chest.
Surprised..... the man pulled the snake out and said. "Why did you bit me; I took you in when you were cold, held you close to my bosom, gave you warmth and care?"
The snake replied. "You knew I was a snake, when you picked me up."
Anyone think they can tame a snake, and have them for a pet. Is waiting for the opportunity for the snake to strike.
The last picture is really amazing and for me the best thing to look at in this post. Watching a yellow and white burmese python is a great thing to see and every time I see one of these beautiful snakes it really excites me. Burmese pythons are probably the largest pythons and I am not sure that it is a wise idea to keep this snakes as a pet in homes but there would be many people who will disagree with me as in the last couple of years the trend keeping of these snakes as a pet have been really increased. Wanna know more about pythons, checkout the following website: www.pythonsnake.org