17-foot python shot and killed in Florida Everglades 

According to the Everglades National Park Service, snakes from around the world have been turning up in and around Florida’s Everglades national park. 

Burmese pythons, one of the largest snake species on earth, are breeding in the park and spreading throughout south Florida. 

Kolby Cantue-Chette (L) and war veteran Terry Edelman hold a burmese python during a training with Soul River group at the Arthur R. Marshall Loxahatchee National Wildlife Refuge in Boynton Beach, Florida on June 19, 2017

The species of snake, originally from Southeast Asia, is frequently found in South Florida and more than 2,000 pythons have been removed from the park and surrounding areas since 2002, likely representing only a fraction of the total population. 

The Burmese pythons established in the park are the result of accidental and/or intentional releases by pet owners. 

These introductions can have devastating consequences to the ecosystems, and Burmese pythons have been found to feed on a wide variety of mammals and birds in the Everglades, even occasionally feeding on alligators.

Source: National Park Service.gov  



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