17-Foot, 198-Pound Burmese Python Captured In Florida Is A Living Dinosaur

iStockphoto / Mark Williams

A 198-pound Burmese python measuring 17-foot, 2-inches was caught in South Florida over the weekend and it now holds the record for the second-largest snake ever captured in Florida. At first glance, I wasn’t even sure this was a python because it’s as thick as an anaconda but it’s very clearly a massive Burmese python based on the distinct markings.

A recent mild cold front pushed through Florida which meant that most reptiles were holed up and trying to conserve energy. In fact, I went looking for alligators yesterday to photograph and didn’t see any at my usual spots. So the fact that this massive cold-blooded snake was caught during the cold front makes it even more spectacular.

This record-setting Burmese python was captured in South Florida by @holdenhunterr on Instagram. His pictures in the gallery below (make sure to scroll through them) and a video of his catch quickly went viral:

And here is video of the 198-pound Burmese python being captured as it attempted to slither across a road:

The cold front aspect to this catch is interesting. These snakes often remain sedentary during cold fronts in order to conserve energy. However, they are also sometimes seen seeking out the warmth of pavement on roads.

Given that this capture took place at night, it seems highly unlikely the python was seeking warmth as the pavement had already cooled. It was most likely traveling to another burrow.

UPDATE: Now with more news coverage:

Burmese Pythons Are Getting Bigger And Bigger In Florida

Back in August, an 18-footer was captured by Jake Cronin and a group of friends.

On July 10th of this year, a 19-foot Burmese python was captured. It set a new record for the longest snake ever caught in Florida.

The 19-footer weighed a hefty 125 pounds. But that’s 73 pounds lighter than this 17’2″ python caught above. So it really gives you a sense of how large this living dinosaur is.