invasive species

Man Wrestles, Kills Record-Size Python In Florida City

Evan Benn — Wed, 22 May 2013 11:22:46 +0000

Jason Leon said he has two regrets about slicing the head off the longest Burmese python recorded in Florida:

He wishes he didn’t have to slay the beast, and he wishes his bedroom walls were big enough to mount the snake’s skin.

How Plants Tell The Story Of Florida's Immigrant History

Kaylois Henry — Tue, 21 May 2013 11:14:02 +0000

Immigrants have had a profound effect on South Florida. We all know about the influences on culture, food and language. But they changed the region's horticulture too.

Many of South Florida's plants have been brought here to improve the surrounds, provide food and shelter. Indeed, most of the plants that we consider iconic to South Florida are not native but transplants from elsewhere. Bougainvillea? It's a native of Mexico. Mangoes are originally from India. Even that most Floridian of fruits, oranges, are originally from China.

Why Florida Has The Most Invasive Species

Arianna Prothero and Kaylois Henry — Fri, 10 May 2013 18:36:54 +0000

Florida has a big problem with invasive species, and the idea of chowing down on the pests has been gaining in popularity. So far, there’s a cookbook dedicated to lionfish, an invasive species cooking contest and even an invasive species sampler tent at The Grassroots Festival on Virginia Key this past February.

How to Make Burmese Python Nuggets

Trina Sargalski and Evan Benn — Fri, 10 May 2013 15:14:06 +0000

Editor's note: In the hunt for what to do about the various mix of invasive species found in Florida, we are running a series that not only describes the problems caused by these plants and animals but, well, offers a culinary solution. Tweet us (@WLRN) your ideas and tips or email us a recipe: WLRNMIA@gmail.com.

BURMESE PYTHON

Origin: Southeast Asia

Some Health Risks With Eating Giant African Land Snail

Trina Sargalski — Thu, 09 May 2013 10:30:00 +0000

How To Make Wild Boar Tacos With Tomatillo Salsa

Evan Benn — Thu, 09 May 2013 10:00:00 +0000

Eating Invasive Species Comes With A Side Of Caution

Trina Sargalski — Wed, 08 May 2013 10:30:00 +0000

To accompany our Invasive Species Cookbook , we are also posting the potential health risks of eating certain invasive species and how to possibly mitigate those risks.

How To Make Snakehead Fish With Mango-Avocado Salsa

Evan Benn — Wed, 08 May 2013 10:00:00 +0000

How To Make Watermelon Gazpacho With Lionfish

Evan Benn — Tue, 07 May 2013 10:00:00 +0000

How To Make Stew With Giant African Land Snails

Arianna Prothero and Kaylois Henry — Mon, 06 May 2013 10:00:00 +0000

Nine Awesome Everglades Animals (Aside From The Alligator)

Tricia Woolfenden — Fri, 12 Apr 2013 11:01:00 +0000

Is there any animal more closely associated with the Everglades than the American alligator? OK, the Burmese python has been the 'glades press "darling" as of late, but invasive, non-natives do not count for the purposes of celebrating the Everglades. While Florida's iconic reptilian king deserves all of the attention it gets, there are plenty of other cool critters that inhabit the Everglades.

In The Fight Against A Lionfish Invasion, Florida Turns To Creative Photo Contest

Tricia Woolfenden — Tue, 02 Apr 2013 13:03:00 +0000

Lionfish are the newest target of the Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation's (FWC) efforts to use social engagement to tackle the problem of exotic, invasives in the state. The FWC announced last week the launch of its "Lionfish Control Team" photo contest for the month of April.

Feral Cats Bill Pits Animal Welfare Advocates Against Conservationalists

Tricia Woolfenden — Mon, 01 Apr 2013 12:01:00 +0000

Animal welfare advocates are at odds with wildlife conservationalists as the Florida Senate prepares this week to look at a controversial feral cat bill.

Here's One Way To Help The Almost-Extinct Grasshopper Sparrow: Kill Fire Ants

Tricia Woolfenden — Fri, 22 Mar 2013 11:01:56 +0000

Fire ants are notorious Florida invasives, leaving a trail of painful welts and blisters in their wake. Those pesky exotic intruders also happen to be a serious threat to some of the state's most vulnerable endemic species.

Meet The Tegu: An Intelligent And Athletic Invasive Threatening Florida's Wildlife

Tricia Woolfenden — Mon, 25 Feb 2013 13:01:37 +0000

As Mike Perez mingled with visitors at the recent Python Challenge awards event in Miami, his left arm supported the weight of a black-and-white lizard with a body as thick as a linebacker's bicep. Gazing through heavily hooded eyes, the lizard rarely moved, save for sticking out its forked tongue for an occasional sniff .

Python Challenge Hunter: "It's Eerily Quiet In The Everglades"

Tricia Woolfenden — Mon, 18 Feb 2013 21:00:11 +0000

Tom Rahill knows the Everglades. He has been camping, hiking, clearing trails, and "hanging out" in Florida's River of Grass for an estimated 35 years. When he sweats, Rahill says he "even smells like the Everglades." A participant in the recently-wrapped and much-maligned Python Challenge, Rahill recognizes that much of the press and public appear unimpressed with the contest's final tally of 68 snakes.

The Python Challenge Final Tally: 50 Dead Snakes And A Whole Lot Of Unanswered Questions

Tricia Woolfenden — Fri, 15 Feb 2013 22:00:00 +0000

The wacky challenge that grabbed national headlines -- and perhaps more than its fair share of derision -- will come to a head Saturday morning, when the 2013 Python Challenge awards are presented in Miami.

The Python Challenge Scoreboard So Far: 37 Less Burmese Pythons In The Everglades

Tricia Woolfenden — Thu, 31 Jan 2013 21:10:54 +0000

With just a little more than a week remaining in the hunt, the 2013 Python Challenge has seen the capture and (hopefully relatively swift and painless) killing of 37 Burmese pythons in the Everglades. The Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission -- which is sponsoring the hunt -- announced the latest kill count on Tuesday morning via its official Facebook page.

Three Miami Thinkers Take On Beavers At The End Of The World

Nathaniel Sandler — Thu, 31 Jan 2013 17:00:00 +0000

In 1946, a bizarre cargo shipment stopped over at the Pan American Airlines headquarters in Miami. En route to Tierra del Fuego, the southern most tip of South America, fifty North American Beavers were temporarily housed in a walk-in refrigerator maintained by the airline. The door of the fridge, however, was made of wood.

This is oversight at its worst; Beavers in a prison made of wood.

Are Cats A Threat To Nature Or Simply Man's Favorite Scapegoat?

Tricia Woolfenden — Wed, 30 Jan 2013 21:00:00 +0000

A teddy bear of a cat stretches across a desk. His baseball-sized orange paws skim the keyboard as his purring body contorts into a position that exposes an expansive patch of striped belly. The tableau, which plays out in my home office on a near-daily basis, is a pleasant distraction from this week's reminder that my loyal companion is a natural born killer.

Congressmen Fail To Get A Tight Grasp On Python Bill

Ashley Lopez — Wed, 05 Dec 2012 14:30:00 +0000

A bill that should help fix Florida's python problem is slipping out of the hands of lawmakers in Washington.

U.S. Rep. Tom Rooney, R-Tequesta, has been trying to get legislation passed that would broaden a ban on invasive species in the U.S. In effect, the bill would slow down a recent influx of invasive snakes taking over the Everglades in Florida.