American scientists have seized an extraordinary python in the Everglades in South Florida.
The Biggest of its Kind Ever Found
A 64-kg and 5.2-meter-long Burmese python was captured in the Big Cypress National Reserve in Florida, by a group of US scientists on Thursday, April 4th. It is believed to be the largest snake ever found in the Everglades since pythons caught in this area are usually between 1.8 and 3 meters long.
According to scientists, the female python carried 73 eggs in development. Also, it would be able to swallow a deer.
Use of Innovative Techniques
The researchers used innovative techniques to capture the snake. They put radio transmitters on male pythons to go back to the female, reports RTL. “Our team does not just remove invasive snakes, it also collects data for research,” they claimed on Facebook.
Pythons Invade Florida
The Burmese python, native to Asia, appeared in the 1980s in the United States. Their owners released them into the swampy Everglades when they can no longer handle them. Being of great danger, the US government banned their import in 2012. They are between 30,000 and 300,000 in South Florida.
It is considered as an invasive species since this kind of python has no natural predators. The American authorities had actually no choice but to take the initiative to eliminate them.