A record book - breaking colossus Burmese python has been caught by two Florida huntsman , measure 5.7 cadence ( 18.75 metrical foot ) . fall apart the former record of longest Burmese python capture in Florida by around 2.5 centimeters ( 1 inch ) , the seizure of this 47.2 - kilogram ( 104 - pound ) snake is being blow as a monumental win for the Everglades in the ongoing engagement against the invading species .
Contracted python huntsman Ryan Ausburn and Kevin Pavlidis work with Florida ’s Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission ( FWC ) and South Florida Water Management District ( SFWMD ) as part of their Python Action Team , aim at removing the large numbers of invasive Burmese Python that live in the Everglades . As one of the large coinage of snake in the grass , Burmese pythons have hefty jaws and the ability to constringe a huge motley of animals , making them a distinct threat to the frail ecosystems of the Everglades .
rapturous with his capture , Pavlidis explicate the fight with the nearly 6 - metre python in aFacebook Emily Post .
“ On Friday night , we pulled this BEAST of a serpent out of waist - deep water in the middle of the night , deep in the Everglades . I have never pick up a snake anywhere near this size and my hands were shaking as I approached her , " he wrote . " Every python we get can be potentially dangerous , but one this size of it ? deadly . One misunderstanding , and I am for sure going to the hospital . But more significantly , this is a once in a lifetime snake . I could go out every single night for the rest period of my life story and never see one this prominent again . ”
wrangle enormous snakes is a severe project . big pythons have been known to kill and eat alligators in Florida , and removing large individuals is an important but difficult exploit – one best forget to professionals . Burmese pythons have no innate predators in Florida , so it is up to animal bounty Orion and organizations to off them before they run , or slither , rearing through the Everglades .
“ The removal of this titan Burmese python is a triumph for our native wildlife and home ground , ” said FWC Commissioner Rodney Barreto in astatement .
Burmese Pythons entered the South Florida Everglades as a result of escaped or lawlessly eject pets and quickly became well instal in the tropical wetland . The marshes and besotted grasslands are perfect environments for the tremendous snakes to flourish , and with little challenger they have become a fearsome trouble for the local ecosystems .
Hunters battle the species have now removed more than 5,000 pythons from the Everglades , but there is still an estimated 3,000 more to charm .
