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An 18.2-foot-long python was found dead in the Florida Everglades on Tuesday.
The python was found five miles north of the Tamiami Trail by a South Florida Water Management District employee who was working on a routine canal and levee inspection, agency spokesperson Randy Smith said.
Burmese pythons are one of the biggest species of snakes on the Earth, said the National park Service. These species are now famous for breeding in Everglades National park and their number is growing throughout South Florida, which are nearly 150,000.
Burmese pythons mainly feed on indigenous species, which is a matter of concern for experts as their diet could alter the ecosystem. Since 2002, over 18,000 pythons have been taken out of the park and its nearby areas. However, the figure is just a small fraction as these snakes are present in very large numbers.
The necropsy (animal autopsy) is quite helpful as it could tell what the snake was eating before its death and whether it was pregnant or not.
When the researchers analyzed a previous record-setting female Burmese python, which was 17 feet 7 inches in length, they found that it was carrying 87 eggs inside.
As per the viewpoint of officials, pet owners could be blamed for the increasing population of pythons because they started using the wetlands as ‘dumping ground’.
Agencies/Canadajournal
