The Conservancy of Southwest Florida announced a 22-year-old has made the largest capture ever in the state of Florida of a Burmese python.
The Burmese python measures 19 feet long, three inches longer than the previous-record-breaking python. The incredibly long snake weighs 125 pounds.
The snake was found in Big Cypress National Preserve by Jake Waleri.
“We brought the snake to the Conservancy to be officially measured and documented. We wanted to donate this find to science," he said in a press release.
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Despite the snake wrapping around her arms several times, Onya Lee-Golightly's main concern was the python's safety.
The Burmese python has become an invasive species in the Florida Everglades region. Florida wildlife officials say they have few predators in the wild and can prey upon native species.
It is why wildlife officials have been trying to limit the population of Burmese pythons in Florida.
Turning in the Burmese python is one way of helping the Florida 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," Waleri said.
Officials from the conservancy said they will study the large python.
"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," said Ian Easterling, conservancy biologist. "We will be collecting measurements and samples that will be distributed to our research collaborators."
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Last year, a team of researchers from the Conservancy of Southwest Florida captured a 215-pound Burmese python. The researchers said they recorded 122 eggs within the female snake’s abdomen during a necropsy.
The researchers also found that the snake had consumed an adult white-tailed deer before being captured.
