First-time Florida python hunter snags largest invasive Burmese python on record
In the early morning hours of July 10, a group of passionate python hunters caught a female Burmese python. Interested to learn the full scope of the size of their catch, the team contacted the Conservancy of Southwest Florida’s python team to collect measurements. The results: the python measured 19 feet and 125 pounds – officially the largest python ever documented. The longest Burmese python previously recorded in Florida was 18 feet 9 inches.
First time python hunter Jake Waleri is the main guy credited with snagging the beast. Twitter shared a video of Waleri single-handedly taking down the monster reptile:
22-year-old Waleri found the big snake in Big Cypress National Preserve. “We brought the snake to the Conservancy to be officially measured and documented. We wanted to donate this find to science,” he said.
Burmese pythons are nonvenomous constrictors that have long been an invasive species in Florida, primarily living in and around the Everglades in South Florida. The snake is known to be one of the largest snake species in the world and in Florida, they are on average found to be between 6 feet and 9 feet – roughly a third of the length of the one that now holds the record.
The animals pose a significant threat to other wildlife in the state, as they eat mammals, birds and even alligators, while having few natural predators aside from humans. ~ CBS News
Born and raised in Naples, Florida, Waleri understands the importance of removing this invasive apex predator out of Southwest Florida’s ecosystem. “It’s awesome to be able to make an impact on South Florida’s environment. We love this ecosystem and try to preserve it as much as possible.”
It’s interesting to note that although python hunters have been working to help eradicate the invasive species since at least 2010, Waleri captured his 19’ beast on his first python hunter outing.
The Conservancy of Southwest Florida’s Burmese python research and removal team is no stranger to these large animals. In fact, they currently hold their own record after catching the heaviest Burmese python ever documented in Florida in June 2022. The female python weighed 215 pounds.
Ian Easterling, Conservancy Biologist states, “We had a feeling that these snakes get this big and now we have clear evidence. Her genetic material may prove valuable for an eventual understanding of the founding population of South Florida. We will be collecting measurements and samples that will be distributed to our research collaborators.”
The Conservancy of Southwest Florida is an environmental nonprofit in Naples, Florida. Their program has responded to the threat of the invasive Burmese python for the last 10 years. Through research and removal efforts, the Conservancy continues to control the spread of this invasive species by using science-based solutions and humane tactics.
To date, the Conservancy has removed more than 30,000 pounds of python from an approximately 150 square mile area in southwestern Florida. Visit their website for additional details regarding their program.
For more on this record-breaking python catch – see the video below.
(Source and inline images: Conservancy of Southwest Florida)
Posted by Richard Webster, Ace News Today / Follow Richard on Facebook, Twitter & Instagram
