A family in Central Florida discovered an enormous snake on their property over the weekend after being brave enough to shine a flashlight into a drainage pipe.
A hefty Burmese python was heaped on top of itself within the culvert. When they hauled it out into the light, landowner Aaron Brown said it was 16 feet, 4-inches long. According to experts, this is near twice the average for pythons in Florida.
“I still can’t believe the magnitude of this monster,” Brown posted on Facebook on February 7. “I caught a glimpse of it and it took a few seconds for it to register.” “Holy cow, what a snake,” I thought.
Even more shocking, the lizard was carrying 100 eggs, according to Fox 13 News. The snake, which was exterminated, was discovered in Hardee County’s Zolfo Springs region, some 75 miles southeast of Tampa.
This is around 100 miles north of the Everglades National Park and Big Cypress National Preserve, where pythons and other huge constrictors have established a stronghold.
Brown spotted one of the largest pythons in Florida, which is attempting to exterminate the undesirable predators before they ruin entire ecosystems.
Pythons in Florida average 8 to 10 feet and 200 pounds, with a record 18-foot, 9-inch python found last year, according to Florida Fish and Wildlife. When possible, the state encourages people to “humanely” k.ill the snakes.
Brown told Fox News 13 that while driving, he saw “something sparkling in the grass” and realized it was a python. According to the station, a group of family members set out to grab it and ultimately used a hook to extract it from the culvert.
Brown stated on Facebook that the cadaver was delivered to python hunter and Discovery Channel TV personality Dusty Crum, of “Guardians of the Glades” fame.
Brown stated, “Every part of the snake will be utilized.” Much of the reaction on social media to his story has been a mix of amazement at the size of the snake and annoyance that pythons have become an issue as a result of unscrupulous exotic pet owners.
“I’d want to use this opportunity to say ‘Thank you sir’ for your kind gesture because that snake is far too large to be running about free,” one guy said on Brown’s Facebook page. “I wonder how many cats/dogs that creature has devoured,” said another.
