Bloodsucking worms from pythons are killing native Florida snakes, study says

A new study, led by researchers at Stetson University, shows that parasitic worms spread by invasive Burmese pythons are killing native Florida pygmy snakes. The DNA testing found the worms in the pygmy rattlesnakes were consistent with the same parasite species from southeast Asia, normally found in Burmese pythons. “The parasites that were found in the pygmy rattlesnakes were larger than the ones found in Burmese pythons,” Farrell said.

Source: www.floridatoday.com