A 215-pound Burmese Python was captured in Florida on June 22, 2022. It was captured by the Conservancy of Southwest Florida. It is the largest python ever captured. The previous record capture, made in 2021, was 185-pounds.
The Burmese Python is an invasive species in the everglades of Florida and is native to Southeast Asia. It is believed that they were let loose into the everglades after Hurricane Andrew struck Florida in 1992, destroying a Burmese Python breeding facility and letting the snakes loose into the everglades. Since then, their population has bloomed, as they reproduce very easily and have no natural predators. This has been a big problem for the local ecosystem because the pythons eat white-tailed deer. This is the same food the endangered Florida panthers eat, and because the pythons are eating the deer there is less food for the panthers. This is destabilizing the entire ecosystem. In an effort to hunt Burmese Pythons, the State of Florida holds an annual “Python Challenge.” During this two-week competition, experts and amateurs are invited to hunt down as many snakes as they can in exchange for prize money. In 2021, participants managed to capture a total of 223 Burmese Pythons.
The Burmese Python is an invasive species in the everglades, and has been slowly unbalancing that ecosystem. If left unchecked, it could destroy the everglades forever.
The Burmese Python is an invasive species in the everglades of Florida and is native to Southeast Asia. It is believed that they were let loose into the everglades after Hurricane Andrew struck Florida in 1992, destroying a Burmese Python breeding facility and letting the snakes loose into the everglades. Since then, their population has bloomed, as they reproduce very easily and have no natural predators. This has been a big problem for the local ecosystem because the pythons eat white-tailed deer. This is the same food the endangered Florida panthers eat, and because the pythons are eating the deer there is less food for the panthers. This is destabilizing the entire ecosystem. In an effort to hunt Burmese Pythons, the State of Florida holds an annual “Python Challenge.” During this two-week competition, experts and amateurs are invited to hunt down as many snakes as they can in exchange for prize money. In 2021, participants managed to capture a total of 223 Burmese Pythons.
The Burmese Python is an invasive species in the everglades, and has been slowly unbalancing that ecosystem. If left unchecked, it could destroy the everglades forever.
