We’ve chatted about invasive species in many episodes, but this time the invader is INSIDE the better known invader. A parasite has made its way to Florida, USA in the lungs of Burmese Pythons; has the parasite spread, and is it impacting the native snake species?

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Main Paper References:

Miller MA, Kinsella JM, Snow RW, Falk BG, Reed RN, Goetz SM, Mazzotti FJ, Guyer C, Romagosa CM. 2020. Highly competent native snake hosts extend the range of an introduced parasite beyond its invasive Burmese python host. Ecosphere 11. DOI: 10.1002/ecs2.3153.

Walden HDS, Iredale ME, Childress A, Wellehan JFX, Ossiboff RJ. 2020. Case Report: Invasive Pentastomes, Raillietiella orientalis (Sambon, 1922), in a Free-Ranging Banded Water Snake (Nerodia fasciata) in North Central Florida, USA. Frontiers in Veterinary Science 7:467. DOI: 10.3389/fvets.2020.00467.

Other Mentioned Papers/Studies:

Kelehear, C., Spratt, D. M., O’Meally, D., & Shine, R. 2014. Pentastomids of wild snakes in the Australian tropics. International Journal for Parasitology: Parasites and Wildlife, 3(1), 20-31. DOI: 10.1016/j.ijppaw.2013.12.003.

Other Links/Mentions:

Gopher frog call from: https://www.floridamuseum.ufl.edu/discover-herps/florida-frog-calls/

Editing and Music:

Podcast edited by Emmy – https://www.fiverr.com/emmyk10 

Intro/outro – Treehouse by Ed Nelson

Species Bi-week theme – Michael Timothy

Other Music – The Passion HiFi, https://www.thepassionhifi.com