Pythons Could Slither North as Climate Warms

Feb. 22, 2008 -- Twenty-foot pythons could soon be on the march--or on the slither--to new parts of North America, thanks to global warming. Climate researchers have worked out the likely places in North America where the climate now--and in the year 2100--resembles their native climes in Pakistan and Indonesia.

Climate modeling for the year 2100 which shows the possible climate range for pythons moving northward and swallowing up northernmost parts of Texas and Arkansas, the southeast half of Kansas, the southern half of Missouri and parts of southern Illinois and Indiana. Further east the big snakes could comfortably creep through Tennessee, Kentucky, Maryland, Delaware and southern New Jersey.

Western states like California, Arizona, Nevada and New Mexico could see python-friendly climates move further north as well, while Washington and Oregon would see python weather for the first time in some places.

The climate maps do not take into account other factors which might keep pythons out, like appropriate food and habitat. Still, the snakes will likely take advantage of the changing climate and spread north wherever they can, said invasive snake expert Gordon Rodda of the U.S. Geological Survey's (USGS) Fort Collins Science Center in Colorado. Rodda conducted the climate modeling and snake range climate maps, which were released this week by the USGS.

The invasion of the pythons was first detected in 2003 when researchers discovered a self-sustaining population of Burmese pythons in the Florida Everglades. The snakes are thought to be the offspring of a released pet.

Since then pythons have also been found in Big Cypress National Preserve north of Everglades National Park, in Miami's water management areas to the northeast, Key Largo to the southeast, and other state parks and public and private lands throughout the region.