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17 foot pregnant python found in Florida

August 14, 2012

Scientists at the Florida Museum of Natural History examined a 164.5-pound, 17.5-foot pregnant Burmese python carcass on Friday after it was brought there from the Everglades National Park. They found a record of 87 eggs inside the python which gave them important clues about the reproductive capability of the species. Scientists say exploring the snake’s biology is essential in understanding how to stop the python’s spread around the world.

“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,” said park wildlife biologist Skip Snow.

Everglades National Park and the Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission are working with other agencies on the Burmese python problem. The Burmese python is a non-native but established species in Florida that is one of the deadliest, most competitive predators in the southern part of the state, according to the university. The snakes have no known predator and population range from the thousands to hundreds of thousands. The Burmese python was first found in the Everglades in 1979 yet it is native to Southeast Asia.

State laws prohibit people from owning Burmese pythons as pets or taking them across state lines without a federal permit. Florida has the world’s most awful problem with amphibians and invasive reptiles, the university said. The journal Zootaxa, Krysko published a study last year which found that 137 non-native species were introduced to Florida between 1863 and 2010. Pet trade was determined as the number one cause.