Huge Burmese Python Found In Florida With Record 87 Eggs

Dark Knight

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A double record-setting Burmese python has been found in the Florida Everglades.


At 17 feet, 7 inches (5.3 meters) in length, it is the largest snake of its kind found in the state and it was carrying a record 87 eggs. Scientists say the finding highlights how dangerously comfortable the invasive species has become in its new home.


"This thing is monstrous, it's about a foot wide," said Kenneth Krysko, of the Florida Museum of Natural History at the University of Florida. "It means these snakes are surviving a long time in the wild, there's nothing stopping them and the native wildlife are in trouble."


The giant female python was discovered in the Everglades National Park and had been stored since May in a freezer at the museum; on Friday, researchers at the museum studied its internal anatomy, making the wild discovery.


http://news.yahoo.com/holy-herpetology-burmese-python-found-record-87-eggs-193035561.html


:eek: :hills:
 
A double record-setting Burmese python has been found in the Florida Everglades.


At 17 feet, 7 inches (5.3 meters) in length, it is the largest snake of its kind found in the state and it was carrying a record 87 eggs. Scientists say the finding highlights how dangerously comfortable the invasive species has become in its new home.


"This thing is monstrous, it's about a foot wide," said Kenneth Krysko, of the Florida Museum of Natural History at the University of Florida. "It means these snakes are surviving a long time in the wild, there's nothing stopping them and the native wildlife are in trouble."


The giant female python was discovered in the Everglades National Park and had been stored since May in a freezer at the museum; on Friday, researchers at the museum studied its internal anatomy, making the wild discovery.


http://news.yahoo.com/holy-herpetology-burmese-python-found-record-87-eggs-193035561.html


:eek: :hills:

So was it smugled in? Burmese Python does sound like he has another origin :waitasec:


HMMM...
Found my answer....:)

The snake was introduced to Florida by the exotic pet trade three decades ago and
is now one of the region's deadliest and most competitive predators.

the Burmese python, native to Southeast Asia, is one of the state's most prominent new residents.
 
Eww, isn't that gross?! And there are supposed to be THOUSANDS of them slithering around! Kind of puts a damper on sunny Florida vacation plans.
 
UGH! At that size, it could probably eat a toddler or a full-sized dog.
 
UGH! At that size, it could probably eat a toddler or a full-sized dog.

It could also easily kill an adult human, she just couldn't swallow one. But kill, you bet.
 
Sounds like someone let their pet snake go a few years back. It happens a lot as these things can get so large. Once they reach about 4 or 5 feet people no longer want them, then let them go.
 
They are a threat to naive species. They have been incidents of theme killing many animals, including at lest one gator. If there is a record of one, you know there are more unrecorded cases.
 
It could also easily kill an adult human, she just couldn't swallow one. But kill, you bet.

Are you sure about this, DK? The swallowing, I mean. I know you're right about the killing.

Most predatory snakes can unhinge their jaws and swallow prey much wider than themselves.
 
Are you sure about this, DK? The swallowing, I mean. I know you're right about the killing.

Most predatory snakes can unhinge their jaws and swallow prey much wider than themselves.

I used to think they could easily swallow an adult human, given their ability to swallow deer and such, but since then I have seen numerous experts say they don't think it could get past a human's shoulders. So I guess it is about the way we are shaped? Like I said, I also used to think it'd be easy for them, but the experts have generally seemed to hypothesize that they could not swallow us. Of course, it could depend on the size of the human/size of the snake, too. No snake is swallowing Andre the Giant, lol. Maybe these snake experts just don't want to scare humans, as it sure doesn't make sense to me.
 
I used to think they could easily swallow an adult human, given their ability to swallow deer and such, but since then I have seen numerous experts say they don't think it could get past a human's shoulders. So I guess it is about the way we are shaped? Like I said, I also used to think it'd be easy for them, but the experts have generally seemed to hypothesize that they could not swallow us. Of course, it could depend on the size of the human/size of the snake, too. No snake is swallowing Andre the Giant, lol. Maybe these snake experts just don't want to scare humans, as it sure doesn't make sense to me.

Thanks, DK. I did think about our shoulders and I can see where they might pose a problem. Most four-legged animals do not have the same width.

If that's what the experts say, I'll believe it--at least until the inevitable report that some python has indeed swallowed an adult man. LOL.

In the meantime, I wouldn't trust a python to KNOW he couldn't swallow me (I'm not Andre, but I am 6'3"). I'll stay clear.
 
My hubby and I watched one of those animal shows on animal planet talking about the HUGE problem Florida has with pythons. There are so many that are loose, that was the majority of the animal calls that came in.

I know in some of the counties, it is known that you can't leave your pet outside bc it will be ate.

They even had some animal experts on talking about how it was become a epidemic around fl especially bc it was killing local habitat around there. It was explained how it was changing and evolving by breeding with other versions of snakes. It was shocking.
 
I remember reading an article about a snake eating a grown man, in, IIRC nat'l geographic. It was in central or south America. Some guys were camping and one of them went to the nearby river to fish. His buddies went to look for him and saw the snake, which they shot. There was a photo of the dead snake, with an obvious lump in the bed of a pickup.
Also, thanks for posting that link, valleyboy. I had never heard of that case.
 
I say "Yay!".

Awesome.

Should I be scared? <looks around frantically from left to rite>

ETA: should have read all the posts...didn't know "they" killed it. :(
 
This was in Northern Ontario, Canada about 1 year ago.

Large exotic snake discovered in Timmins by berry picker.

http://www.timminstimes.com/ArticleDisplay.aspx?e=3249393&archive=true

The Timmins Police Service is issuing a public appeal for information on a rare incident that occurred within its jurisdiction last week.

According to a police news release, it was on August 01, 2011 a local man reported encountering a very large, live snake in the bush area approximately one kilometer south of the landfill site on Pine Street South. The man was berry picking at the time and came across the snake next to a dirt road.

Officers attended and located the snake, which measured about 18 feet in length. Assistance was solicited from officials with the Toronto Zoo, which advised that the snake was a Burmese Python, which is indigenous to tropic and subtropic areas of Southern Asia. It is one of the six largest species of snakes in the world.
 

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