If you are afraid of snakes, you probably want to avoid this article. Perhaps you want to avoid the State of Florida as well! It was just reported that in Florida’s Big Cypress National Preserve there was an encounter that led officials to finding and capturing two Burmese pythons, both females, as well as over 20 of their hatchlings, and also 23 eggs.
Just yesterday, I was writing about a Hollywood woman who found an iguana in her toilet. Now that story doesn’t seem so scary now, does it
Pythons Found in Big Cypress National Preserve
In a story I first read on CBS NEWS, Officer Matthew Rubenstein, of the Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission, was doing a routine patrol of the area just a few days ago on August 11. On that visit, he encountered Alex McDuffie, who works as a python contractor. McDuffie had just secured a hatchling. After the two men scoured the area, the were able to find a whopping 18 more hatchlings, according to CBS Miami.
They figured there had to be a nest near by, and they kept seeking out the nest until they came across a mulch pile with what ended up being a 10 foot Burmese python! This python was sitting on 23 unhatched eggs, according to reports.
They continued their search and found an astonishing 73 unhatched eggs just a few feet from this original location where the 23 unhatched eggs were found.
McDuffie took possession of the python and her 23 unhatched eggs so they could be brought to the Big Cypress Python research program. Going back the next evening, McDuffie found and captured another female python from a totally new nest, this one tallying over 17 feet in length.
This isn’t the only time in recent history this has happened, however. Just last month, according to the Conservancy of Southwest Florida, biologists were able to bring in the biggest (according to weight) Burmese python ever found in Florida. This one weighed 215 pounds and was over 18 feet long. Along with this python was a whopping 122 unhatched eggs.
These species are invasive, and in order to disrupt the breeding cycle, the females need to be caught. For non Florida residents, it’s crucial to know that we even have a python removal program that runs every August and actually gives prizes to participants. It’s actually a lot of fun and the media covers it, so make sure to bookmark Florida Review Guide and we’ll absolutely highlight what happens in this years hunt!
And thanks for reading today’s edition of:
#onlyinFlorida
Chris Zasada
Chris is a Midwest Transplant that has lived in South Florida since 1999. While he likes to remain active and is an avid sports enthusiast, he's become our go-to provider of reviews of any establishment serving food and booze!