Answer:
The most accurate answer is A: Python parasitism has reduced the population of white-tailed deer and raccoons.
Explanation:
Burmese pythons are an invasive species in the Everglades, and they have had a significant impact on native wildlife. They prey on a variety of animals, including white-tailed deer and raccoons. Studies have shown that python predation has led to declines in the populations of these species. This is an example of parasitism, where the python benefits (by getting a meal), and the prey species is harmed.
No evidence suggests that python predation has caused a trophic cascade that changed the mosquitoes' niche (option B). Trophic cascades occur when changes at one trophic level indirectly affect other trophic levels, but this is not the case with pythons and mosquitoes.
Option D is incorrect because pythons do not have a mutual symbiosis with cotton rats. Pythons prey on cotton rats, just like they do with many other small mammal species in the Everglades.
Finally, option C is also incorrect. Pythons do not compete with white-tailed deer and raccoons for food. Instead, pythons prey on these species, which has led to declines in their populations.
Therefore, the most accurate answer is A: Python parasitism has reduced the population of white-tailed deer and raccoons.