Snakes play a critical role in our ecosystems, keeping rodent populations in check and supplying birds of prey with an excellent food source. But our snakes are facing a new threat, an invasive parasite, Raillietiella orientalis from Asia and Africa. This worm-like crustacean, believed to have come over with the invasive Burmese Python, is infecting the respiratory system of our native snakes. It is spreading rapidly, and ongoing research is documenting its spread and impact.
New Episode from Naturally Florida
Naturally Florida (a podcast about Florida’s natural areas and the wild things that live here) recently released a new episode about pentastomes, a new invasive parasite impacting our native snakes!
Check it out, below on Spotify, or on your favorite podcast platform.
If you enjoyed this episode about pentastomes, please consider sharing it with a friend.
You can find all the podcast platforms where Naturally Florida is published, submit feedback, or request future topics at www.naturallyfloridapodcast.com
- Learn More:
- Invasive Snake Lungworm: Raillietiella orientalis – https://invasionscience.ufl.edu/media/invasionscienceufledu/images/docs/Disease_-FactSheet_Snake_Lung_Parasite.pdf
- Snake Lungworm Alliance and Monitoring – https://invasionscience.ufl.edu/media/invasionscienceufledu/images/docs/SLAM_Brochure.pdf
- Parasite spillover: indirect effects of invasive Burmese pythons – https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC5773325/
How You Can Help:
- Report sightings of dead snakes, especially if pentastomes present (coming out of snake’s mouth) on Snake Lungworm Alliance and Monitoring (SLAM) website: https://invasionscience.ufl.edu/slam/
- Researchers are concerned about the possible spread of this parasite through the pet trade. Please report any sick or dying snakes purchased via the pet trade through the SLAM website.
- Think before you kill a snake in your yard. Snakes are critical in rodent control and a food source for our birds of prey.
- You can also consider providing an area of your yard for snake habitat. This would include an area where you let the grass grow tall, establish a brush pile, or stack firewood.
Sources for this Episode:
- Invasive Snake Lungworm: Raillietiella orientalis – https://invasionscience.ufl.edu/media/invasionscienceufledu/images/docs/Disease_-FactSheet_Snake_Lung_Parasite.pdf
- Snake Lungworm Alliance and Monitoring – https://invasionscience.ufl.edu/media/invasionscienceufledu/images/docs/SLAM_Brochure.pdf
- Parasite spillover: indirect effects of invasive Burmese pythons – https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC5773325/
Special thanks to Dr. Melissa Miller and Jenna Palmisano for assistance in the script writing of this episode.
Learn about other episodes from Naturally Florida by Clicking Here.
University of Florida IFAS Extension is committed to diversity of people, thought and opinion, to inclusiveness and to equal opportunity.
UF/IFAS Extension is an Equal Opportunity Institution.
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