The Calusa Herpetological Society Of Southwest Florida

Thursday, November 6, 2025 - 7:00 pm 

Speaker Information:  Our speaker for this month is Anthony Flanagan. The title of his talk is “The Northern African Python in South Florida”. While the Burmese python receives all the media attention, the Northern African Python (Python sebae) is also established in South Florida. This species has been established here since the early 1990’s but is confined to a localized area. In my 18 years of removing pythons from the Everglades, I’ve made some interesting observations on P. sebae, which differentiate them from the more common Burmese Python (Python bivatattus). We will cover habitat preferences, unique behavior characteristics, and efforts to remove this species from the ecosystem. We will also see some awesome native herps too!

Anthony Flanagan was born and raised in South Florida, with the Everglades as his backyard. While he’s always been a recreational herper, the arrival of pythons into his beloved Everglades has changed his focus to python removal. Since 2007, he has removed over 1600 pythons from the ecosystem. He has worked with multiple agencies, including SFWMD, USGS, UF, FWC, ENP, Miccosukee Tribe of S. Fl, Auburn University, Denison University, and the CSWFL. He has been participating in the radio tracking telemetry of pythons since 2012. During this time, he has made many interesting observations on the biology of both of our invasive python species. He currently is the SFWMD python trainer, and a licensed python removal contractor. 

After the meeting, you are invited to join us at a nearby restaurant (announced at the meeting) for more herp discussions and camaraderie over food and drinks. See you there! $5.00 for non-members per meeting or buy a year membership ($25 individual) or ($30 family/business) . The address of the Calusa Nature Center is 3450 Ortiz Ave, Fort Myers, FL 33905.

WHO'S INVITED? You are! Anyone with an interest in any aspect of herpetology or herpetoculture is welcome to attend, learn, and exchange their experiences with our friendly membership. Come out to meet others who keep, breed or study reptiles and amphibians, and let them share their fascination with you. We average 10 - 20 people attending every meeting.