A snake big enough to down a goat discovered in Miami-Dade

As if all those Burmese pythons roaming the Everglades weren't enough, now authorities are investigating the possibility that the biggest snake in Africa is breeding nearby, the South Florida Sun-Sentinel reports.

Three African rock pythons have been found in eastern Miami-Dade County in the past few months, the newspaper reports.

How big is it? Big enough to consume goats, wart hogs and crocodiles.

"We're not sure whether it's someone releasing them or not," said Scott Hardin, exotic-species coordinator for the state wildlife commission. "It's enough to be concerned. We are sending our people to look through the area to determine the extent of it."

Mysterious horse slaughters continue in South Florida

Another horse was found dead in South Florida over the weekend, the Associated Press has reported.

According to a police report, the horse that was found dead on Sunday was missing chunks of meat on its chest and legs.

The Miami-Dade Police Department says 17 horse carcasses have been discovered in unincorporated parts of the county from Jan. 11 until July 27. Some believe the horses are being butchered for their meat, though police have not confirmed this as a motive.

Earlier this month, a dead horse was found along a rural Miami road on the edge of the Everglades. Miami-Dade police say the horse had been mutilated. Two horses were found slaughtered in a similar way in nearby Miramar several months ago. Authorities there also believe the horses were butchered for their meat.

No arrests have been made, though rewards have been offered for information leading to an arrest.

 

Humongous lizards invade military runway

National Geographic says so...so it must be true.  6-foot Nile Monitor Lizards have apparently decided that the tarmac at Homestead Air Reserve Base is a good place to soak up the rays.  Though employees routinely patrol the runways to shoo off trespassing wildlife, it's an uphill battle, given the proximity of the base to both Everglades and Biscayne National Parks.  The reptile problem is obvious.

"When you have an airplane coming in to land or take off, and you have a 6-foot [1.8-meter] reptile laying on the runway, it causes a substantial human health and safety problem," said Parker Hall, a wildlife biologist with the U.S. Department of Agriculture's Wildlife Services.

According to the story, invasive lizards such as the Nile Monitor now outnumber native species.  Nile Monitor Lizards can weigh up to 30 pounds, "and have been observed eating protected species such as the burrowing owl."  In the last two decades, these lizards have been seen in seven Florida counties, with the largest "breeding population" living in Cape Coral.  (Photo:  NSGS)

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