Table of Contents
One of the Many
Trial by Fire
Cold Blooded
The Best Hope
The Big Chill
Legislation-Come-Lately
The Unanswerable Questions
The Cycle Continues
End Notes
Works Cited
About the Author
Snake in the Grass
An Everglades Invasion
Larry Perez
Pineapple Press, Inc.
Sarasota, Florida
Dedication
This book is dedicated to my grandmother, Caqui, and my parents, Miriam and Ralph, as an admittedly insufficient token of my gratitude for a lifetime of love, generosity, and encouragement. Together, you colored my formative years awash in childhood riches, and, as a grown man, I continue to strike gold with every passing year. Your selfless support has allowed my wildest dreams, and those of my own young family, to take flight.
Copyright © 2012 Larry Perez
All rights reserved. No part of this book may be reproduced in any form or by any means, electronic or mechanical, including photocopying, recording, or by any information storage and retrieval system, without permission in writing from the publisher.
Inquiries should be addressed to:
Pineapple Press, Inc.
P.O. Box 3889
Sarasota, Florida 34230
www.pineapplepress.com
Library of Congress Cataloging in Publication Data
Perez, Larry.
Snake in the grass : an Everglades invasion / Larry Perez.
p. cm.
ISBN 978-1-56164-513-8 (pbk.)
1. Snakes--Florida--Everglades National Park. I. Title.
QL666.O6P3525 2012
597.9609759’39--dc23
2011043280
First Edition
10 9 8 7 6 5 4 3 2 1
ISBN 978-1-56164-574-9 (e-book)
Insert and index deleted for e-book purposes
Design by Shé Hicks
Printed and bound in the USA
Rock python images on cover courtesy of Paul Marcellini, www.PaulMarcellini.com
Cover design by Larry Perez
“Snake in the Grass is a gripping and factual account of the most dramatic invasion yet in the continental U.S. It’s hard to put down. But it’s more than that. Perez depicts the surprising number of invaders in south Florida, the ecosystem-level impacts, and the array of economic forces, politics, and weak regulations that indicate the worst is yet to come.”
—Daniel Simberloff, Nancy Gore Hunger Professor, University of Tennessee; editor-in-chief, Biological Invasions; senior editor, Encyclopedia of Biological Invasions
“Snake-eating alligators and alligator-eating snakes might seem like a science fiction story-line, but those battles are playing out in Everglades National Park, where an invasion of non-native pythons threatens to upend a rich and diverse ecosystem that includes the largest tract of wilderness east of the Rockies. Larry Perez skillfully explores this astonishing assault—the repercussions already tallied and those lying in wait—in a book that reads almost like fiction but which, sadly, is only too factual.”
—Kurt Repanshek, founder and editor-in-chief, National Parks Traveler
“Snake in the Grass is the most comprehensive review of the invasion of Burmese pythons in the Everglades to date, and aptly explains their potential to irreparably alter the dynamics of Everglades ecosystems forever. Burmese pythons, like other nonnative plants and animals, are in Florida to stay. Snake in the Grass outlines counter-invasion strategies from legal reform to on-the-ground control techniques. The book could not be more timely.”
—Roger L. Hammer, author of Everglades Wildflowers and A Falcon Guide to Everglades National Park & the Surrounding Area
A narrow Fellow in the Grass
Occasionally rides—
You may have met Him—did you not,
His notice sudden is—
The Grass divides as with a Comb—
A spotted shaft is seen—
And then it closes at your feet
And opens further on—
He likes a Boggy Acre
A Floor too cool for Corn—
Yet when a Boy, and Barefoot—
I more than once at Morn
Have passed, I thought, a Whip lash
Unbraiding in the sun
When stooping to secure it
It wrinkled and was gone—
Several of Nature’s People
I know, and they know me—
I feel for them a transport
Of cordiality—
But never met this Fellow
Attended, or alone
Without a tighter breathing
And Zero at the Bone—
Emily Dickinson, “The Snake,” 1866
Preface
The opinions expressed in the following pages are solely my own and do not necessarily reflect those of any governmental agency, organization, or group with which I have previously maintained, or presently maintain, affiliation. Furthermore, unless otherwise noted in the text, my thoughts and conclusions should not be attributed to any of the individuals who have graciously reviewed portions of this work and provided their comments.
This work is intended solely as an in-depth exploration of an important issue and does not necessarily espouse any particular viewpoint or recommend any specific action. Rather, it is hoped the following pages will present a concise account of relevant topics, spark further dialogue among broader audiences, and help advance constructive solutions that benefit both our global community and environment as a whole.
Acknowledgments
There are a great many people to whom I owe