Native Mammalian Predators Can Depredate Adult Burmese Pythons in Florida

Matthew F. McCollister^1,*, Jillian M. Josimovich¹, Austin L. Fitzgerald², Deborah K. Jansen², and Andrea F. Currylow²

¹National Park Service, Big Cypress National Preserve, 33100 Tamiami Trail East, Ochopee, FL 34141. ²US Geological Survey, Fort Collins Science Center, South Florida Field Station in Everglades National Park, 40001 SR 9336, Homestead, FL 33034. *Corresponding author.

Southeastern Naturalist,Volume 20, Issue 2 (2021): N55–N59

Abstract
Invasive predators are of conservation concern because they contribute to species declines and extinctions worldwide. Interactions of native fauna and invasive predators can be complex, but understanding these relationships can guide management and restoration. Observations of these interactions are especially important for invaders with low detectability like Python bivittatus (Burmese Python) where data are sparse. Here, we provide the first detailed documentation of mammalian attacks on Burmese Pythons in Florida: 1 Lynx rufus (Bobcat) predation of an adult male python and 1 Ursus americanus floridanus (Florida Black Bear) non-lethal attack on an adult female python.

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