A nearly 18-foot long, 100-pound Burmese python has been captured slithering across a highway in Florida. The enormous snake was caught by three amateur hunters in Collier County and may be one of the biggest ever found in the state, Wink News reported.
Burmese pythons are an invasive species in Florida. They were first introduced to the environment in the 1970s—likely as exotic pets released into the wild. Ever since, they have been severely impacting the native ecosystem as they feast on native wildlife, such as white tailed deer, causing a major issue in preserving the wetlands.
The species can grow to huge sizes. On average they reach 10 to 16 feet, however, some grow much larger.They also reproduce rapidly and the population in the state has boomed in recent years. For this reason, hunting the species is encouraged. Particularly large, female snakes are highly sought after, as their capture prevents the species from breeding.
Jake Waleri, Joshua Laquis and Stephen Gauta had been hunting for Burmese pythons when they unexpectedly came across the huge snake.They had been driving along the US-41 near Monroe Station when they spotted it on the road. "I look up, and I see something blocking the entire road. It takes me a second and I just see a head move, and I just start screaming."
Waleri said that he and his companions did not expect to find anything as large. "We were sweating and fighting this thing for a good five to 10 minutes," Gauta said.
Once they managed to catch the beast, they measured it and discovered it was 17 feet 10 inches long. The snake is not a record breaker, however, it is very close. In June, a team of python trackers from the Conservancy of Southwest Florida caught the python that holds the record, which measured 18 feet.
"When I saw this thing, and I saw its tail and its head were almost touching the opposite white lines of the road, I was shocked. I was like, this could be a record breaker. It's not but it's pretty close." It is not the first time the hunters have tackled a huge snake, Gauta having recently caught one that measured 17 feet and 6 inches.
Here's an article about this year's hunt:
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