A group of researchers has captured a female python, said to be the largest ever found in the Everglades' Big Cypress National Preserve, and sufficiently large to eat a deer. It is 17 foot long, weighing no less than 140 pounds and was carrying an amazing 73 developing eggs. This would make the creature longer than a single story building.
A New Record
The Python required four persons to carry it out of the nature park in Florida. The researchers then went on to post an incredible picture on Facebook and stated that the python has established a new record for the National Preserve. In order to snap a picture of this snake, they had to use a wide angle lens so that the whole of its immense could be captured.
Failed Hunting Programs
In the past, the Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission sponsored several hunting programs with the goal of eliminating pythons which have become a threat to Floridan Wildlife. Although such measures did not produce good results. In 2017, the commission conducted several hearings all around the state, looking for effective ideas to contain the hideous creatures.
Threat to Wildlife
The Pythons are Burmese in origin and were first appeared in the area in the1980 which soon found to be very invasive. These huge reptiles are able to devastate native wildlife, by devouring small animals such as birds, opossums, rabbits, and at times even swallowing large creatures like adult deer and alligators. To make matters worse, there is a lack of natural predators in the area that can keep the ecosystem in balance.
Radio Transmitters to Track the Females
In an effort to find the female pythons infesting the preserve, researchers attached radio transmitters to male pythons to trace female pythons that are in the breeding stage. Once they found them, they removed them from the area in an effort to manage the insidious species, as they are a threat to wildlife in the area. When the massive python was found, they destroyed its eggs and subjected it to euthanasia.
Aim of The Researchers
The researchers are looking for ways to get rid of these invasive snakes. They are gathering necessary data for detailed research to create new tools for their removal and also to study the predatory habits of the creatures.
