Tracking Pythons: The Quest to Catch an Invasive Predator and Save an Ecosystem

by Kate Messner

Overview

Burmese pythons are invading Florida.

These enormous snakes are native to Southeast Asia, so when one showed up dead along the side of a Florida highway in 1979, scientists wondered where it came from. No one knew the snakes had launched a full-scale invasion. Pet pythons that escaped or were released by their owners started breeding in the wild, and these enormous predators began eating every animal in their path.

Today a group of scientists at the Conservancy of Southwest Florida is tracking Burmese pythons to find ways to stop their spread. Page Plus QR code links lead to video clips and photos of the scientists working in the field. Delve into the science of pythons and their role as invasive predators.

"[A] fascinating example of field biology . . . Who knew that snake science could be so adventurous?"—starred, Kirkus Reviews

Product Details

ISBN-13:	9781541557062
Publisher:	Lerner Publishing Group
Publication date:	03/03/2020
Pages:	64
Sales rank:	1,127,773
Product dimensions:	9.00(w) x 10.80(h) x 0.50(d)
Lexile:	1110L (what's this?)
Age Range:	10 - 11 Years

About the Author

Kate Messner is passionately curious and writes books that encourage kids to wonder, too. Her titles include award-winning picture books, easy readers, chapter books, nonfiction, and novels. A former teacher, Kate lives in upstate New York with her family and is trying to summit all 46 Adirondack High Peaks in between book deadlines.

Editorial Reviews

"[A] fascinating example of field biology . . ."—starred, Kirkus Reviews

From the Publisher

03/01/2020

Gr 4–8—Ever dreamed of wading through bushes and vines in search of an 11-foot snake, specifically a Burmese python? This book takes readers into the thick of South Florida's fragile ecosystem and follows scientists on their mission to study and help control the population of this invasive species. It is predicted that as many as 300,000 of these snakes live in the wild, where they are wreaking havoc on the native population. Messner has collected wonderful diagrams and photographs to help illustrate the importance of the work of these scientists. The layout provides sidebars that discuss topics such as a python's body structure, how the scientists' tracking system works, and "How to Catch a Python." The book is broken into seven chapters. Each focuses on a particular aspect of the scientists' process and research methods. One series of photographs shows a snake and its last meal—a full-size deer. An extensive bibliography and suggested further reading are included. VERDICT Messner's well-written and -documented book will fascinate any nature lover, but younger readers who love snakes will be thrilled.—Erin Olsen, Hunter College Elementary School, NY

School Library Journal

★ 2019-12-08
Scientists wrestle 100-pound snakes, wade through swamps, perform delicate surgery, and fly in small planes searching for Burmese pythons hiding and multiplying in southern Florida.

The baleful python on the cover will draw readers in, and Messner's recurring descriptions of the snake-catchers in action will keep them engaged. She introduces the team from the Conservancy of Southwest Florida with an account of a tracking expedition. She explains why South Florida is a "perfect home" for these large predators and how the scientists capture snakes, implant radio transmitters, release them, and then follow them in the wild to find other pythons. She notes their affection for the snakes as well as their sadness that part of their job involves euthanizing females in an effort to keep this invasive apex predator from eating nearly everything else living in the delicate Florida ecosystem. She places this campaign in the context of worldwide efforts against invasive species. Well-captioned photographs, maps, and diagrams break up the text and add information. Videos of some of the episodes described are available via QR codes scattered throughout. In a page of profiles of the participating scientists (two men, two women, all apparently white), all four are shown holding huge snakes. This fascinating example of field biology holds its own against the exemplary Scientists in the Field series.

Who knew that snake science could be so adventurous? (author's note, invasive species most wanted list, timeline, glossary, source notes, bibliography, further reading, index, photo acknowledgments) (Nonfiction. 9-14)

Kirkus Reviews