A record breaking Burmese python has been found in the Florida everglades. The snake was a record breaking 17-foot-7-inches long and weighed 164.5 pounds. It was also full of eggs which numbered 87, another record breaker.
The snake has been handed over to the Florida Museum of Natural History by officials from Everglades National Park. Burmese pythons are native to southeast Asia, but have become quite an invasive species in the Florida everglades as many people tried to keep them as pets. Once the pet owners realize how large these guys can get, they often release them into the wild. Unfortunately, due to the size of this particular find, it is becoming apparent that they are thriving in their new home. “This thing is monstrous, it’s about a foot wide,” said Florida Museum herpetology collection manager Kenneth Krysko. “It means these snakes are surviving a long time in the wild, there’s nothing stopping them and the native wildlife are in trouble.”
Skip Snow, a park wildlife biologist, said, “I think one of the important facts about this animal is its reproductive capability…There are not many records of how many eggs a large female snake carries in the wild. This shows they’re a really reproductive animal, which aids in their invasiveness.”
The researchers hope they can examine this specimen to find out what its eating habits are and hopefully discover some way they can curtail the spread of this deadly invasive species. As it stands now, the Burmese python has no known predators and one this size can eat just about anything it wants.
According to a University of Florida press release, “Florida has the world’s worst invasive reptile and amphibian problem.” Most of this is due to the pet trade. For more information about Florida’s wildlife program, visit the Florida Museum of Natural History at http://www.flmnh.ufl.edu.