Python vs Alligator 01

Python vs Alligator 01

Burmese pythons have an established permanent breeding population in South Florida and belong to the “new” apex predators of the Everglades today. Top predators like the american crocodiles and american alligators prey regularly on all kinds of reptiles, including pythons. An adult alligator will have little trouble to overpower, kill and eat any juvenile and in some cases even an adult constrictor. Nevertheless, a fully grown Burmese Python can reach over twenty feet in lengths and becomes extremely dangerous prey item for most crocodilians. These large constrictors have not much to fear and will feed on most animals they come across (including alligators) when hungry. 

Pythons are non venomous snakes and kill by constricting their prey, wrapping its body around in a thigh coil until the animals dies of suffocation within a few minuets. The prey will be swallowed mostly head first and whole. This process can take considerable time  during which the snake is vulnerable to attacks from other predators. Confrontations between pythons and alligator have been recorded during the last years but still, very little is know on the outcome of such “fights”. The fact is that invasive species like the burmese pythons are a part of the Everglades today and it is up to everyone to find out as much as possible and use the newly gain knowledge to keep the python population in check.