ST. AUGUSTINE, Fla. — Neighbors living in the Prairie Lakes neighborhood of St. Augustine are having an unusual problem. Residents have caught 22 ball pythons roaming around the neighborhood in July, First Coast News reported Monday.
Experts say these snakes aren't wild and are considered an invasive species. The Florida Fish & Wildlife Conservation Commission said the snakes are most likely escaped or released pets.
Isaac Scott, a trapper who works with snakes, says it is "animal cruelty" to release snakes like this into the wild. Many of you had questions for experts regarding the future of these snakes.
THE QUESTIONS
Could ball pythons survive in the 'wild' in St. Augustine? Can they breed in the wild?
SOURCES
- Florida Fish & Wildlife Conservation Commission
- Isaac Scott with CritterPro Inc.
THE ANSWERS
No, ball pythons are not likely to survive and breed in St. Augustine. The snakes currently being found in St. Augustine were not a product of breeding in the wild.
WHAT WE FOUND
Scott says ball pythons can breed in the wild, but the patterns on the snakes caught in St. Augustine wouldn't be found in the wild. He says the patterns are intentional by the snake's owner.
"They come in all different colors. So, people love to breed them to mix and match different colors and patterns and what this looked to be was a breeding project that somebody had done and decided that they didn't want anymore."
As for how long the snakes would survive in the wild, FWC says temperatures below 70 degrees can put the snakes at risk of hypothermia or shock. They are cold blooded and rely on the environment to regulate temperature.
It can get cold during the winter months on the First Coast, so depending on how severe our winters are, could determine if the snakes survive.
"The heat they would be just fine," Scott said. "It's unlikely that they'd be able to survive a winter here."
However -- there is no knowing for sure. "They are reptiles," says Scott. "So they are masters at adaptation and so there's no counting them out."
