In the battle for the title of “Everglades apex predator,” the American alligator has always reigned supreme, but there’s an invasive species battling the beloved Florida alligator for the top spot. What species is capable of dethroning the prehistoric stylings of the alligator? None other than the powerful and infamous star of a C rated horror movie (sorry J Lo), the deadly green anaconda. Don’t put your hands outside of the boat on your next Everglades air boat ride--once these snakes latch on, they’re not easily coaxed to let go.
Everyone focuses the Everglades battle on pythons, but green anacondas are posing serious threats to the swamp’s food chain as well. Popular in the snake trade, anacondas are purposefully, or accidentally, released by their owners, where they begin to breed and fight for survival.
What these snake enthusiasts may or may not realize is that their grievous error has turned one of the staples of Florida ecology into a reptilian boxing match, where the victor must fight to the death. In one corner, coming in at 10-15 feet, weighing 1,000 lbs--equipped with body armor, a muscular physique and a powerful jaw--we have the American Alligator. In the other corner we have the challenger, reaching lengths of 20-30 feet, coming in at 550 lbs, hoping to usurp the long standing king of the Everglades, the green anaconda.
Green anacondas are known for devouring caimans in their native South American habitat, so while the alligator may have little concern of being on the python’s menu, the anaconda could be a different story. If these two did face off in the wild it’s hard to say who would win or lose since it would all be circumstantial, but what’s certain is that the python is not the only invasive Everglades threat.
While the green anaconda does not get as much media attention as the python, its image was included in the study guide for those participating in the 2013 “Python Challenge” hunting contest. Who knows--in the future there may be an “anaconda challenge” or two, though these predators are much more difficult to hunt since they spend nearly every waking minute in the water, fully or partially submerged. Be on the lookout during your next Everglades air boat ride; you may find yourself face to face with this deadly predator.
To learn more about Florida ecology and the Everglades invasive species battle, visit http://wildfloridairboats.com/.
