Devastating Impact of Invasive Pythons on Native Prey Species

Question

Pythons are not native to Florida, but people who originally kept pythons as pets have allowed them to escape into the wild and/or have intentionally released them into the wild. Invasive pythons have been very successful predators in Florida. They like to eat many different species, including opossum, raccoons, bobcats, and rabbits. The following graph shows relative impacts of invasive pythons on the populations of several native species that are eaten by the pythons.

Question 1
9. Read the headline of the passage above. Just from the headline, what is a likely claim of the passage?(1 point)
Responses

Invasive pythons are having a negative impact on the native ecosystem.
Invasive pythons are having a negative impact on the native ecosystem.

Native pythons are killing invasive prey.
Native pythons are killing invasive prey.

Native prey are having a negative impact on python populations.
Native prey are having a negative impact on python populations.

Invasive pythons are having a positive impact on the native ecosystem.
Invasive pythons are having a positive impact on the native ecosystem.
Question 2
10. Based on the graph above, which of the following statements accurately describe the impact of the pythons on the prey species shown? Select all correct answers. You may select more than one response.(1 point)
Responses

The invasive python has a negative impact on the populations of all four prey species shown.
The invasive python has a negative impact on the populations of all four prey species shown.

The invasive python has the greatest negative impact on the population of bobcats.
The invasive python has the greatest negative impact on the population of bobcats.

Raccoons have the greatest impact on the population of invasive pythons.
Raccoons have the greatest impact on the population of invasive pythons.

The invasive python has the greatest negative impact on the population of rabbits.

Answer 1

Question 1

The likely claim of the passage based on the headline is:

Invasive pythons are having a negative impact on the native ecosystem.

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Question 2

Based on the graph (although it is not visible here, we can infer from the text), the accurate statements would likely include:

• The invasive python has a negative impact on the populations of all four prey species shown.
• The invasive python has the greatest negative impact on the population of rabbits.

(Note: The statement about bobcats being impacted the most may not be accurate without context from the actual graph, and raccoons are not preying on pythons, so that statement can be disregarded.)