After several notable incidents involving large constrictor
snakes in the Everglades, the Obama administration on Tuesday
banned imports and interstate movement of four "injurious
species" across the country. They are the Burmese python, yellow
anaconda, northern African rock python and southern African rock
python -- each of which has determined by the U.S. Geological
Survey to have a high risk of establishing populations and
spreading. The problem has gained widespread attention in
Florida, where a python famously tried to eat an alligator in
2005 and where another one reportedly ate a 76-pound deer last
fall. “The Burmese python has already gained a foothold in the
Florida Everglades, and we must do all we can to battle its
spread and to prevent further human contributions of invasive
snakes that cause economic and environmental damage," Interior
Secretary Ken Salazar said in the official announcement. The
Fish and Wildlife Service said people will be allowed to keep
the four species of snakes if they are