It cut the numbers. Problem is, one female python can produce dozens of offspring in the warm seasons.
Here is a study done after the 2010 cold spell about mortality in Burmese pythons in South Florida:
Cold-induced mortality of invasive Burmese pythons in south Florida
Frank J. Mazzotti
Michael S. Cherkiss
Kristen M. Hart
Ray W. Snow
Michael R. Rochford
Michael E. Dorcas
Robert N. Reed
Received: 17 March 2010 / Accepted: 1 June 2010
Abstract
A recent record cold spell in southern
Florida (2–11 January 2010) provided an opportunity
to evaluate responses of an established population of
Burmese pythons (Python molurus bivittatus) to a
prolonged period of unusually cold weather. We
observed behavior, characterized thermal biology,
determined fate of radio-telemetered (n=10) and
non-telemetered (n=104) Burmese pythons, and
analyzed habitat and environmental conditions expe-
rienced by pythons during and after a historic cold
spell. Telemetered pythons had been implanted with
radio-transmitters and temperature-recording data
loggers prior to the cold snap. Only one of 10
telemetered pythons survived the cold snap, whereas
59 of 99 (60%) non-telemetered pythons for which we
determined fate survived. Body temperatures of eight
dead telemetered pythons fluctuated regularly prior to
9 January 2010, then declined substantially during the
cold period (9–11 January) and exhibited no further
evidence of active thermoregulation indicating they
were likely dead. Unusually cold temperatures in
January 2010 were clearly associated with mortality of
Burmese pythons in the Everglades. Some radio-
telemetered pythons appeared to exhibit maladaptive
behavior during the cold spell, including attempting to
bask instead of retreating to sheltered refugia. We
discuss implications of our findings for persistence and
spread of introduced Burmese pythons in the United
States and for maximizing their rate of removal.
https://www.nps.gov/ever/learn/nature/upload/PythonColdMortalityLoRes.pdfOne of the notable discoveries was that pythons are more detectable during cold spells since they will attempt to raise their body temperatures by basking in the sun - even when there is not enough gain from that activity to make a difference. In fact, apparently a number of the dead pythons were found in the open.
This basking activity should make them easier to capture, if teams trying to eliminate them are willing to go out in extremely low temperatures!
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