I think we need to rethink the nickname of “Sunshine State.” The fact that Florida gets a lot of sunshine is just as obvious as the fact that the state is overrun by pythons, or even worse: Disney adults. Calling Florida by a nickname that’s Vitamin-D positive seems to be giving it too much credit… at least in my mind.
What should it be nicknamed? I think the “Burmese Python State” has a nice ring to it. Maybe even the “Mickey Mouse” or the “We Have Harry Potter World” state.
There are plenty of other, more specific options to choose from. Much like the deceased python in the video below, I’m just floating ideas out there.
🐊 🐍
“Video taken November 28, 2024
This is one of the most incredible sights I’ve witnessed while working in Everglades National Park.
A massive 12-foot alligator in the Shark Valley loop is seen dragging an invasive Burmese python, estimated to be at least twice its size.… pic.twitter.com/auc1VTK02y
— PitunisWorld 🌎 (@ScMesab) December 2, 2024
I’ll get off my Florida soapbox to start talking about this wild video out of southern state, which shows a smaller alligator parading around a massive, dead-as-a-doorknob Burmese python.
The large snakes are basically the definition of invasive species. Ever since they were accidentally introduced to Florida in the 1970s and 1980s, they’ve been a huge thorn in the side of the state’s natural ecosystem.
There’s a scenario where this smaller gator and the larger python had a battle for the ages. We’ve seen examples of it on video before. When an alligator and a python face off, there’s no holds barred, and there’s no rules in the fight for survival. However, since the python looks pretty bloated, the more likely scenario in this particular situation is that this gator discovered this python after it had already died.