Pete Thomas Outdoors

Animated video portrays Florida capture of 19-foot python

 

The recent Florida capture of a Burmese python measuring a state-record 18 feet, 8 inches, made headlines around the country.

A story I posted on GrindTv Outdoor was featured on the Yahoo homepage Monday and Tuesday and garnered 4 million views.

There were photos of scientists posing with the dead snake, courtesy of the University of Florida, but the missing element was video footage showing Jason Leon pulling the massive reptile from the brush and stabbing it to death.

That's where TomoNews US comes in. Its staff put together the accompanying animated video portraying what happened, based on reports, late at night on a highway in southeast Miami-Dade County.

The video is somewhat informative and viewers who are not angry with Leon for killing the snake probably will find the footage to be amusing.

It should be stressed that Burmese pythons are an invasive species and a threat to Florida's native wildlife. Florida's Fish and  Wildlife Conservation Commission hopes to contain or control their numbers as effectively as possible, and praised Leon for removing this particular predator.

--Pete Thomas

Florida proposes to ban the harvest of tarpon, bonefish

Florida has proposed catch-and-release-only regulations for tarpon and bonefish, species that are highly popular among fly anglers.

The proposal was announced Wednesday after a Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission meeting in Tallahassee.

The purpose of banning the harvest of these species is "in recognition of the fact that their economic and fishing value as fishes caught and released greatly exceeds their value as food fish," the FWC states on its website.

If the proposal is adopted--it will be brought back before the commission in June--the following changes will be put into effect:

--The harvesting of tarpon would be banned with the exception of a single tarpon by an angler in pursuit of an International Game Fish Association world record, if that angler possesses a $50 tarpon tag.

--Tarpon tags will still cost $50 but anglers will be limited to one per year. Modifications to the tarpon tag program will include new reporting requirements and alterations to the start/end dates of a tag.

--The existing bonefish tournament exemption that allows registered tournament anglers to possess a bonefish for the purposes of transporting it to the tournament scale would be eliminated. Bonefish harvest would be banned.

Click here to view more details of the proposal.

--Atlantic tarpon image is via Wikipedia

Florida Everglades tour guide grapples with 10-foot python

A family on a boat tour of the Florida Everglades got an unexpected show Tuesday when their guide jumped into the water and began grappling with a 10-foot Burmese python.

Tommy Owen, a guide for Everglades Adventure Tours, was out with a boat of tourists when he saw the huge snake swimming through the water. His instincts took over, and Owen leapt into the water after it.

"They don't belong here and that was literally running through my mind," Owen told NBC affiliate WBBH-TV. "I launched on it, essentially ambushed it just like any other predator out here."

One thing Owen didn't perceive, however, was the size of his opponent.

"I didn't even realize it was 10 feet -- I thought it was definitely over 6 feet, definitely bigger than me. I didn't realize it was three times the size of my own arms."

Surprisingly, the group on the boat kept their cameras rolling, and caught the scuffle on video.

"After awhile it was just snake jujitsu -- we were just trying to battle it out -- he'd have one arm, I'd have the other," Owen said.

And he wasn't giving up the fight.

"I had to make sure I caught that one cause that's one less out there -- one less eating native species."

Burmese pythons are a non-native invasive species in Florida and have become a threat to native wildlife.

And those on the boat who were witness to the tussle? Owen believes they got a once-in-a-lifetime experience.

"They'll never get a show like that ever again. That was the highlight of their life, or of their vacation for sure."

-- Kelly Burgess

Florida anglers reel in 1,000-pound great white shark

A great white shark estimated to measure 13-plus feet and weigh between 800-1,000 pounds was caught and released Tuesday off Fort Lauderdale, Florida.

Four anglers aboard the vessel Hooked Up fought the massive shark for two hours. The crew expected to see a bull shark at the end of the line because white shark catches are rare off Florida.

"No one knew what it was until we got it to the boat," Taco Perez, who owns the charter boat, told the Sun-Sentinel. "I've been fishing here since 1969 and Greg and I saw one three years ago. It's so darn uncommon. We're pretty excited about it."

Capt. Greg McCauley was at the helm of Hooked Up, which was at a depth of 180 feet when the shark took a butterflied bonito that was being trolled beneath a kite.

More details are forthcoming, according to a report on the Taco Hooked Up blog.

--Images are via Tacohookedup.com

Red tide bloom kills record number of Florida manatees

A red tide algae bloom off the coast of southwest Florida has killed a record number of manatees so far this year, and that number will likely grow.

Through Sunday 174 manatees have died, according to the Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission.

While results are preliminary, that number includes all manatee carcasses collected within the known red tide bloom boundary -- approximately 70 miles of coastline from Sarasota County to Lee County.

"This is probably going to be the worst die-off in history," veterinarian Martine DeWit told the Tampa Bay Times.

The previous record for manatee deaths attributed to red tide was 151 and was set in 1996.

DeWit, who oversees Florida's marine mammal pathology laboratory, believes that toxins in the algae bloom have settled onto the sea grass that manatees consume, causing the gentle sea mammals to become paralyzed and drown.

DeWit added that the manatee die-off will probably continue for months after the red tide bloom ends because the grass beds will likely retain this toxic coating.

So far, almost a dozen manatees have been rescued and taken to Tampa's Lowry Park Zoo for treatment.

With an estimated population of 4,000 to 5,000, Florida manatees are endangered mammals protected by both the Endangered Species Act and the Marine Mammal Protection Act.

-- Kelly Burgess

Image of a healthy Florida manatee courtesy of Keith Ramos / U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service

Florida's "Python Challenge" nets 68 Burmese pythons

The inaugural "Python Challenge" is now one for the record books, with hunters bringing in a total of 68 Burmese pythons during the month-long competition held to help rid Florida of the invasive species.

Prizes were awarded Saturday during a ceremony at Zoo Miami to hunters who harvested the most pythons and to those who bagged the longest snake in two categories -- one for the general public and one for established snake-hunting permit holders.

The $1,500 grand prize for harvesting the most Burmese pythons went to Brian Barrows, from Fort Myers, Fla., who harvested six pythons in the general category, and Ruben Ramirez, of Miami, who harvested 18 pythons in the permit holders competition.

The longest snake captured measured 14 feet, 3 inches, and was harvested by Paul Shannon, from Lehigh Acres, Fla., competing in the general competition. For comparison, the longest Burmese python ever captured in Florida measured 17 feet, 7 inches.

Nearly 1,600 people from 38 states, the District of Columbia and Canada had registered for the event.

Hosted by the Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission, the goal of the Python Challenge was to heighten public awareness about this invasive species and its impact on wildlife and the ecosystem, especially in Everglades National Park, where they are predominently found.

"Thanks to the determination of Python Challenge competitors, we are able to gather invaluable information that will help refine and focus combined efforts to control pythons in the Everglades," FWC Executive Director Nick Wiley said.

Burmese pythons, which are native to India, China, and the Malay Peninsula, have been found in the wild in Florida since the 1980s. Snake owners who released pythons when they became too large to manage are believed largely responsible for this troubling phenomenon. The snakes, which are reproducing in the wild, have become a threat to native wildlife.

In Florida, Burmese pythons prey on small mammals, birds, and even small alligators. Because they grow to such a large size, adult snakes have few predators other than larger alligators and humans.




-- Kelly Burgess

Image courtesy of Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission

Fisherman dangles arm, giant fish bites and epic battle is on

There are more ways than one to snag a giant tarpon, apparently.

But using a rod and reel has to be safer than the dangling-arm method employed by the man in the video footage.

 

This crazy event occurred in Islamadora, Fla. The man, identified as Ryan Reynolds, is shown wrestling with what appears to be a large tarpon that had latched onto his arm. If the footage is genuine, he jams his other arm into the gill plate for a two-armed grip.

The fish nearly drags Reynolds into the water but he ends up with the upper hand. However, watch the footage and see how the fish regains its freedom.

Tarpon are known, in some places where humans throw them food, to hang out near docks. Robbie's Pier is one such location.

Scientists believe 'mystery eyeball' belonged to a swordfish

Those who guessed "swordfish" appear to have been correct.

That's the consensus among Florida scientists who examined the so-called "mystery eyeball," which was discovered last Wednesday on Pompano Beach.

"Experts on site and remotely have viewed and analyzed the eye, and based on its color, size and structure, along with the presence of bone around it, we believe the eye came from a swordfish," said Joan Herrera, a researcher for the Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission. "Based on straight-line cuts visible around the eye, we believe it was removed by a fisherman and discarded."

Genetic testing will be performed to confirm the identification.

The eyeball is about the size of a softball and its discovery became a major story. Theories abounded as to what type of creature had previously owned the eyeball.

Marlin, swordfish, giant squid, whales and even bigeye thresher sharks were mentioned as marine species with large eyeballs.

Some guesses were more elaborate. Stated one person on the FWC's Facebook page: "A giant squid ripped out a whale's eye."

Now, after close examination, scientists at the FWC's research lab say they "believe" the eyeball belonged to a swordfish.

Until genetic testing is complete, however, there will remain at least a shadow of doubt.

 

Woman photographed riding endangered Florida manatees

 

A woman caught on camera riding endangered Florida manatees has come forward and turned herself in to authorities, claiming ignorance.

Ana Gloria Garcia Gutierrez was photographed riding three manatees Sunday at Florida's Fort De Soto Park, near Tampa Bay, as beachgoers told her to get away from the gentle mammals, also ignoring signs posted along the beach about not touching wildlife.

"She was jumping from one to another," witness Lynn Parrish told a Fox 13 Tampa Bay television reporter. "She was like chasing them and jumping on them, sitting on them, holding them under and they're flapping and trying to get away from this woman."

Gutierrez, 52, turned herself in to the Pinellas County Sheriff's Office, telling deputies she was new to the area and didn't realize it was against the law to touch the manatees.

"I think it's egregious that somebody would just for their own pleasure, really, abuse an animal," said Sheriff Bob Gualtieri. "Manatees aren't meant to be ridden."

Charges have been forwarded to the state attorney's office for possible prosecution. Harrassing manatees is a second-degree misdemeanor under the Florida Manatee Sanctuary Act, which could result in a fine of up to $1,000 and possible jail time for Gutierrez.

One cannot imagine what Gutierrez was thinking, but what comes to my mind after hearing about her actions is a line from the movie Forrest Gump: Stupid is as stupid does.

-- Kelly Burgess

-- Images of Gutierrez taken by Steve Leach, fastballphotography.com

Florida's largest-ever python yields an alarming 87 eggs

Note: This story is reprinted from a Pete Thomas story posted Monday on the GrindTv.com Outdoor channel

The discovery in the Everglades of a Burmese python measuring 17 feet, 7 inches -- the largest ever found in Florida -- was startling enough. But inside the monstrous reptile were 87 eggs, also a state record, which help to illustrate how serious a problem wildlife experts have on their hands with this remarkably prolific invasive species.

"This thing is monstrous, it's about a foot wide," Kenneth Krysko, Florida Museum herpetology collection manager, said in a story published Monday by the University of Florida. "It means these snakes are surviving a long time in the wild, there's nothing stopping them and the native wildlife are in trouble."

The 164.5-pound python, captured recently inside Everglades National Park, was examined Friday at the Florida Museum of Natural History on the UF campus.

It was found to have been in good health before it was killed, and inside its stomach were feathers from a species of bird still to be determined.

The reptiles are voracious, capable of devouring deer, bobcats, alligators and other large animals.

"A 17.5-foot snake could eat anything it wants," Krysko said. "By learning what this animal has been eating and its reproductive status, it will hopefully give us insight into how to potentially manage other wild Burmese pythons in the future. It also highlights the actual problem, which is invasive species."

Burmese pythons are native to Southeast Asia and were first discovered in the Everglades in 1979. The problem was caused, presumably, by people releasing their unwanted pet snakes into the wild.

The reptiles, once they become large, have no natural predators and their abundance throughout the Everglades -- there could be thousands, or even hundreds of thousands -- has resulted in laws banning the possession and transportation across state lines of Burmese pythons.

"They were here 25 years ago, but in very low numbers and it was difficult to find one because of their cryptic behavior," Krysko said. "Now, you can go out to the Everglades nearly any day of the week and find a Burmese python. We've found 14 in a single day."

The previous state-record python measured 16 feet, 8 inches. The most eggs previously collected from a python: 85.

It remains unclear how many eggs a python is capable of developing but wildlife biologist Skip Snow stated: "I think one of the important facts about this animal is its reproductive capability. This shows they're a really reproductive animal, which aids in their invasiveness."

Photo: Florida Museum of Natural History researchers examine state-record Burmese python, which measured 17 feet, 7 inches. Second image shows some of 87 eggs removed from the snake. Credit: Kristen Grace/Florida Museum of Natural History