{"id":1751,"date":"2026-05-26T11:05:04","date_gmt":"2026-05-26T11:05:04","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/orlandorelocationreport.com\/?p=1751"},"modified":"2026-05-26T11:05:04","modified_gmt":"2026-05-26T11:05:04","slug":"an-unexpected-predator-is-raiding-burmese-python-nests-in-the-everglades","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/orlandorelocationreport.com\/?p=1751","title":{"rendered":"An unexpected predator is raiding Burmese python nests in the Everglades"},"content":{"rendered":"
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A scavenger bird could become an ally in South Florida\u2019s fight against the spread of invasive Burmese pythons. By feeding on their eggs, it may help slow the reproduction of one of the Everglades\u2019 greatest ecological threats.<\/p>\n

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The finding was documented in the Francis S. Taylor Wildlife Management Area in Broward County during python tracking conducted as part of an ongoing University of Florida radio telemetry program using scout snakes.<\/p>\n

Researchers arrived at a python nest to remove the eggs before they hatched and prevent the dispersal of hatchlings. When they arrived, they observed at least four vultures circling the site and actively feeding on the eggs.<\/p>\n

The vegetation covering the clutch had been removed, likely by the vultures. Researchers documented at least 17 eggs; three had been displaced from the nest, with only shell fragments remaining.<\/p>\n

The remaining 14 eggs stayed inside the nest cavity, all punctured and with their contents exposed or missing, suggesting total or partial consumption by the vultures, according to the case study published in Reptiles and Amphibians, an international journal specializing in herpetology research.<\/p>\n

The female python was found submerged in shallow water about 12 meters from the nest.<\/p>\n

After a closer inspection, researchers found no signs of other possible predators or scavengers besides the vultures. They also noted that the punctures in the eggs were consistent with marks made by the birds\u2019 beaks.<\/p>\n

The discovery was made in 2023 by a\u00a0University of Florida Department of Wildlife Ecology\u00a0and Conservation team that included\u00a0Brandon Welty,\u00a0W. James Whelpley,\u00a0Elizabeth Sutton,\u00a0Cynthia A. Fussell Persuad,\u00a0Eric Suarez,\u00a0Frank J. Mazzotti\u00a0and\u00a0Melissa A. Miller.<\/p>\n

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Since then, researchers have continued monitoring nests to gather key data, including clutch size, location and hatchling survival.<\/p>\n

Melissa Miller, assistant professor of invasive wildlife ecology at UF, told el\u00a0Nuevo Herald: \u201cWe continue to monitor python nests to increase our understanding of Burmese python reproduction, as well as to remove the eggs before hatchling pythons emerge.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cMonitoring python nests allows for observations such as our report of vultures feeding on python eggs. Our observation constitutes the first documented case of a bird preying on a python nest and adds to the growing body of evidence supporting the idea that native wildlife consumes invasive pythons at all stages of their life cycle,\u201d she said.<\/p>\n

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A study by the United States Geological Survey ( USGS), cited by Everglades National Park, found that cottonmouth snakes \u2014 commonly known as water moccasins \u2014 abundant in the Everglades swamps also feed on young pythons.<\/p>\n

\n<\/div>\n

USGS\u00a0researchers discovered several cottonmouths with juvenile Burmese pythons in their stomachs.<\/p>\n

Researchers have also documented a bobcat removing eggs from the nest of a massive python and devouring them despite a confrontation with the snake.<\/p>\n

The incident was captured by a wildlife monitoring camera in\u00a0Big Cypress National Preserve\u00a0in\u00a0June 2021.<\/p>\n

The American alligator and the eastern indigo snake are also among the predators of the giant reptiles. The\u00a0Florida\u00a0black bear may also feed on the invasive species, according to a report by\u00a0Reptiles Magazine.<\/p>\n

The high fertility of pythons
\nAdult pythons have high reproductive potential, with females capable of laying between 50 and 100 eggs per year, according to the\u00a0Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission\u00a0(FWC).<\/p>\n

Their mating season in\u00a0Florida\u00a0occurs mainly between December and April, while nesting takes place in late spring and hatching occurs between July and August.<\/p>\n

After laying eggs, pythons coil around them to prevent them from drying out. In addition, they use shivering thermogenesis to regulate embryonic temperature and actively defend the eggs from potential predators, UF researchers noted.<\/p>\n

In the observed case involving the python and the vultures, researchers still do not know whether the snake abandoned the nest because of the disturbance caused by the birds or moved away for other reasons, allowing the vultures access to the eggs.<\/p>\n

The removal of female pythons plays a key role in disrupting the species\u2019 reproductive cycle and reducing its impact on the Everglades ecosystem.<\/p>\n

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By feeding on python eggs, vultures may help slow the reproduction of one of the Everglades\u2019 greatest ecological threats.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":1750,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[23,13],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-1751","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-environment","category-news"],"yoast_head":"\nAn unexpected predator is raiding Burmese python nests in the Everglades - Orlando Relocation Report<\/title>\n<meta name=\"robots\" content=\"index, follow, max-snippet:-1, max-image-preview:large, max-video-preview:-1\" \/>\n<link rel=\"canonical\" href=\"https:\/\/orlandorelocationreport.com\/?p=1751\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:locale\" content=\"en_US\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:type\" content=\"article\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:title\" content=\"An unexpected predator is raiding Burmese python nests in the Everglades - 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