A massive Burmese python was caught in the Big Cypress Preserve recently.
A team of python hunters, led by conservationist Mike Elfenbein, caught the large snake as it was crossing a road on Nov. 3.
The python was taken to theConservancy of Southwest Florida, where it measured 17 feet, 2 inches long and weighed in at a whopping 198 pounds, making it the second-heaviest Burmese python ever captured in Florida.
"Officially 17’2” & 198 Pounds. This snake ate a lot of native wildlife to get this big. She ate her last meal! It took five of us to control her; glad to have removed her from our Everglades where she can no longer eat our wildlife," Elfenbein said in an Instagram post.
The heaviest ever was caught in 2022 in the western Everglades by a team of biologists with the help of a male "scout" snake outfitted with a radio transmitter. It weighed 215 pounds and was nearly 18 feet long.
Amy Siewe, also known as "The Python Huntress," told CBS News that she received a call from Elfenbein and hurried to the scene. In an Instagram post, Siewe said the python was "the fattest python I have ever seen."
Burmese pythons have put a stranglehold on Florida's wildlife. They can swim, burrow and climb trees, and they eat almost anything.
What is the average weight of Burmese pythons?
The average weight of wild Burmese pythons is 30 to 165 pounds for females and 15 to 33 pounds for males, according to the reference and education content website ThoughtCo.
What is the longest Burmese python ever captured?
The longest python ever measured was caught in July near Naples. It was caught in the Big Cypress National Preserve in eastern Collier County in July 2023.
The snake was measured by the Conservancy of Southwest Florida in Naples and came in at a whopping 19 feet.
Record python nest:Burmese python nest in Florida Everglades filled with record-breaking 111 eggs
Who is 'Python Huntress' Amy Siewe?
Amy Siewe makes a living as a professional Burmese python hunter.
Siewe was working in real estate in Indianapolis and looking for a career change when she visited Florida in 2019 and took part in a python hunt, according to previous News-Press reports.
Two months later she moved to the Sunshine State and now lives in Naples.
Siewe, also known as "Python Huntress," now hosts guided python hunts and has killed the snakes as a government contractor, including participating in the annual Florida Python Challenge.
Are Burmese pythons still a problem in Florida?
Burmese pythons are an invasive species established across more than a thousand square miles of south Florida, including Everglades National Park, Big Cypress National Preserve and Collier-Seminole State Forest.
The constrictors have few predators and prey on native species, eating just about anything from field mice to deer. According to a 2012 study, they've contributed to the decline of raccoons, opossums, bobcats, foxes, and marsh and cottontail rabbits.
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How much do you get paid for pythons in Florida?
The Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission contracts with qualified private individuals to remove pythons.
Contractors are paid hourly — $13 or $18, depending on the area — for removal efforts. Additionally, freelancers earn $50 for each python up to 4 feet long, plus $25 for each additional foot. They also receive $200 per nest removal field-verified by FWC.
Online applications are accepted year-round.
What is the Florida Python Challenge and how many snakes were caught in 2023?
The Florida Python Challenge is a 10-day FWC event to remove the invasive predators from south Florida's ecosystem. Participants are eligible to win money prizes in various categories.
During the 2023 contest, 1,050 participants removed 209 Burmese pythons.
What do you do if you catch a Burmese python in Florida?
Permit holders, python removal contractors, and FWC and South Florida Water Management District staff can transport live pythons for euthanization at a later point. Everyone else must humanely kill the snakes at the capture location, according to FCW.
Reptiles not native to Florida are not protected in the state except by anti-cruelty law. The animals must be humanely killed. Shooting Burmese pythons is allowed as long as state and local firearms rules are followed and the animal loses consciousness immediately. The animal's brain should then be destroyed by pithing to prevent it from regaining consciousness, according to FWC.
Is python meat edible? Do people eat Burmese python eggs?
Python meat and skin can be kept and sold, according to FWC. Burmese pythons removed from the Everglades were tested and found to have high amounts of mercury. Mercury is a neurotoxin that can impair brain functioning and damage the reproductive system.
While it's not illegal to eat python meat, the FWC cautioned that neither the Florida Department of Health nor the Florida Department of Agriculture have stated that it's safe.
Water management district python hunter Donna Kalil told the Palm Beach Post in 2020 that she eats python a few times a year and shared how she prepares python meat and eggs.
How did the Burmese python get to Florida?
Burmese pythons made their home in the Florida Everglades after the accidental or intentional release of pet animals.
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