July 2022 - 29

pythons in the everglades. Because they weigh
up to 200 pounds, they can kill large prey,
including alligators, that are native to that
state. The problem started when residents
released their pet pythons into the everglades
because they were too big to handle.
Wyoming does not have anything that
serious, said Zack Walker, Game and Fish
nongame wildlife supervisor. Although he said
that also depends on how far in our history
you want to go. Starlings were released here
decades ago, Walker said with exasperation
in his voice, because of a desire to have every
species mentioned by Shakespeare living
in North America. They are not native to
Wyoming and can kick native bluebirds from
Starlings were released in
Wyoming decades ago, are not
native to the state and can
displace native bird species.
(Adobe Stock Photo)
boxes built for them.
" We've been fairly lucky in recent history
not to have a big problem, " Walker said.
Walker, though, loses sleep over the
thought of feral hogs, or domesticated hogs
that go wild after escaping free-range livestock
or enclosures. Feral hogs eat plants and animals
and cause billions of dollars in environmental
and agricultural damage every year in
places such as California. They are in Utah
and the southern tip of Colorado, he said.
" Heaven forbid Wyoming ever gets
feral hogs, " Walker said. " That's my No. 1
nightmare. "
Wyoming's worst herpetological problem
might be bullfrogs or red-eared sliders. EstesZumpf
views bullfrogs as her main enemy,
not the very occasional alligator.
The Sheridan Region had an outbreak
years ago, and now bullfrogs are out of control
as eradicating them would cost too much in
manpower and money. They compete with
and eat northern leopard frogs, which are
native to Wyoming.
" We found a garter snake in the belly of a
bullfrog once, " Estes-Zumpf said. " They are
so prolific they will outcompete anything. "
The bullfrogs that started all this were
likely once pets, like those in a classroom
so kids could observe how tadpoles transform.
Once they became frogs, they were
released because no one wants to euthanize
the classroom pet. Parents have been known
to release their kids' pets when they leave the
house. Many herpetological critters can live
for decades. Tiger salamanders, for instance,
can live 10 years.
" It was your kids' pet, " Estes-Zumpf said,
" but it will be your pet later. Once you have
it, you'd better keep it. "
FISHY BUSINESS
In the Big Horn Basin you'll find goldfish
swimming in various lakes. There's little doubt
in Sam Hochhalter's mind how they wound
up there.
" There's no other explanation than people
had them as a pet and couldn't wrap their
minds around flushing them down the toilet
when their kids left home, " said Hochhalter,
a Game and Fish regional fisheries supervisor
in Cody. " The reality is if there's more than
one, they can reproduce, and they do just fine,
especially in lower elevations. "
Game and Fish biologists discovered them
in West Newton Lake in Cody in 2014, a
popular trout fishery. Now some weigh more
than two pounds, Hochhalter said. Goldfish
can be spotted in several community ponds
throughout the state.
Goldfish aren't destroying trout populations
in Wyoming or overtaking other species,
Hochhalter said, but that doesn't mean they
don't cause problems. Goldfish compete for
resources, which could prevent a fishing hole
from thriving.
In 2019 Wyoming invested $300,000 into
creating a warm-water, bass fishery in Renner
Wyoming Wildlife | 29
Starlings were
released here decades
ago because of a
desire to have every
species mentioned by
Shakespeare living in
North America.
July 2022

Table of Contents for the Digital Edition of July 2022
