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35 votes
35 votes
A private reptile breeding facility near the Everglades was destroyed by Hurricane Andrew in 1992. This event contributed to the original influx quantities of pythons in the wild. Pet owners also contributed to the introduction of these reptiles to the Everglades by releasing pets that had grown too large to care for. These reptiles are considered species to this ecosystem.

can someone please write an explanation that describes the impact of the Burmese python on the Everglades?

Claim:

Evidence:

Reasoning:

User Nestor Sokil
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1 Answer

13 votes
13 votes

Answer:

Claim:

The increase in the population of the Burmese python in Everglades is affecting the ecosystem of said area. They are an invasive species.

Evidence:

From 1994 to 2007, the Burmese python population increased from a small number below 50 species to more than 250 by 2007. As the Burmese population increased, the mammals' population in Everglades decreased significantly and even had extincted some species. For example, from 1993 to 1999, there were 64 white-tailed deer and five red foxes, and grey foxes. Between 2003 and 2011, there were 24 white-tailed deers and 0 foxes. Overall, there is a decrease in all mammals.

Reasoning:

The increasing number of Burmese Pythons due to the release of them by pet owners and due to the destructions of a private reptile breeding facility left a high number of pythons in the wild. As a consequence, these pythons ate other animals producing an imbalance in the Everglades ecosystem. Owing to its large number and how they are harming the ecosystem, they are considered an invasive species.

Step-by-step explanation:

After analyzing the information, the claim is that the increasing population of pythons harms the Everglades' ecosystem.

The evidence that supports the claim is present in the graphics, where we can see how the population of this reptile grew over the years, and the mammals' population decreased. There is specific information about the reduction in the number of mammals in the area, such as the raccoon, foxes, rabbits, etc.

After presenting the evidence, the reasoning that we can make is that the pythons are killing the other animals in Everglades. Also, we can see that they are not a native species from the area since they were released by pet owners and by a breeding facility by accident. The fact that they are harming the Everglades' ecosystem and that they are not native species makes them an invasive species.

User Warlax
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