Hunters in Everglades warned: Don't eat the pythons

Even as state officials are expanding their python-hunting program in South Florida, scientists have discovered that the exotic Burmese pythons slithering around in the Everglades have a surprising problem.

Tissue samples taken from two dozen of the enormous constrictors captured in Everglades National Park turned out to have what National Park Service officials call "extraordinarily high levels of mercury."

Now scientists are trying to figure out how the toxic chemical got there and what effect it has on the snakes. Meanwhile, though, they're worried about the hunters the state wildlife commission has licensed to kill the snakes. "I hope they don't eat them," said Kristin Hart of the U.S. Geological Survey.

One of the 13 people that state officials licensed in July to hunt pythons, Greg Graziani, said he's well aware of the mercury risks. "I wouldn't eat it, not with the problem they have with mercury."

But he's a professional, running Graziani Reptiles in Venus. What Graziani is concerned about are the people who signed up to hunt something else, but now will get to add pythons to their to-do list.

On Aug. 29, state wildlife officials expanded their python-hunting program to include anyone who has a license to hunt on one of South Florida's state-run wildlife management areas: Everglades and Francis S. Taylor, Holey Land, Rotenberger and Big Cypress. The folks using compound bows to kill deer or muzzle-loading rifles to hunt wild boar in those areas now have permission to target "reptiles of concern" as well.

State officials said recently that they have no idea how many people are licensed to hunt on those wildlife management areas. Still, they defended the decision to expand the cadre of python killers.

"It is only natural that we enlist the aid of hunters," said wildlife commission Chairman Rodney Barreto. "Historically, hunters have played a great role with wildlife conservation in this country, and they know the land and have a vested interest in conserving native habitat and game species."

But Graziani contended it just shows that state wildlife officials "have gotten wrapped up in the hysteria" over pythons.

And he worries that inexperienced hunters may not know about the pythons' mercury problem and try to sell the meat or eat it themselves. After all, he said, "they're shooting everything else out there and eating it."

There could be big money in the meat. Considered lighter and tastier than other reptile meat, it currently sells for $50 a pound from California suppliers such as the Exotic Meat Market.

"People are calling me all day long" looking for it, said owner Anshu Pathak.

Now he gets his python from Vietnam. He would much rather buy from Florida wholesalers.

"I'd rather buy American," he explained.

So far the Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission hasn't told its python-hunters, who so far have killed 17 snakes, not to sell or eat the meat, spokeswoman Pat Behnke said.

In humans as well as animals, mercury can cause abnormal development, poor coordination, paralysis, even death. Biologists discovered 20 years ago that the River of Grass was polluted with mercury, probably from coal-fired power plants, smelters and incinerators.

When smokestacks belch mercury-laden smoke into the air, it returns to the earth via rain, converting to a more toxic form called methylmercury in lakes, rivers and oceans. Small fish absorb it and it builds up as they are eaten by bigger ones, a process called bioaccumulation.

In the Everglades, scientists have found mercury in fish, raccoons, alligators, wading birds, even Florida panthers.

In the late 1990s, state officials cracked down on mercury emissions from South Florida's municipal and medical waste incinerators. Mercury emissions measured in South Florida dropped by 93 percent between 1991 and 2000, and the mercury level in the birds dropped nearly 70 percent. Nevertheless, the levels in fish and other animals remain high enough within Everglades National Park that state officials have posted warnings against eating them.

With the python problem looming larger and larger this summer, biologists sent out for laboratory tests on 25 tissue samples from snakes killed in the various parts of the park between July 2006 and August 2008.

"When we got the test results back, we were surprised at the high levels," said Linda Friar, a spokeswoman for Everglades National Park.

The pythons had roughly three times as much mercury in them as the alligators, Hart said. The high levels could be the result of bioaccumulation, she said, since the pythons will eat just about anything that crosses their path.

Scientists with state and federal agencies are preparing a broader investigation of the problem. Among the questions they hope to answer: What effect is the mercury having on the snakes?

"We're not seeing any type of problem with reproduction among pythons," Hart said. "We're seeing very healthy babies. They're so fat and ready to go, it's scary."

Craig Pittman can be reached at craig@sptimes.com or (727) 893-8530.