MIAMI (AP) - South Florida's recent cold snap made the Everglades into burial ground for scores of wildlife.

A University of Florida professor said it's an ecological disturbance equal to a fire or hurricane.

Experts say they're seeing unprecedented levels of death in some species.

And the freeze affected everything from crocodiles to plants and butterflies.

One wildlife ecologist has seen at least 60 manatee carcasses and several frozen stiff Burmese pythons.

The latter is actually a bright side for the ecosystem, helping state officials in a recent push to trim the invasive species.

But many more protected species were decimated, like the manatee
and Goliath grouper.

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