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18-Foot Invasive Burmese Python Is Third-Largest Ever Caught In Florida And A True Dinosaur

#Burmese Python
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Burmese python swimming in water in Everglades National Park

iStockphoto / Utopia_88


Two python hunters in Southwest Florida just captured the third-largest invasive Burmese pythons ever caught in the Sunshine State, measuring nearly 18 feet long.

Carl Nicholson of C1 Catch 1 Python Hunts, a guided python hunting outfit that takes people into the back country to capture invasive Burmese pythons, showed off their new monster catch and it has since gained a lot of attention the outdoorsmen community across Florida.

18 Foot Burmese Python Is Nearly A Florida Record

At nearly 18 feet, this snake looks like a straight-up dinosaur. Seeing it laid out straight in the Reels and photos shared by C1 Catch 1 Python Hunts, you can really get a sense of how truly massive this invasive snake specimen is. Here is a set of photos shared by C1 Catch 1 Python Hunts after capturing the 18-footer:

For context, the largest invasive Burmese python ever caught in the state of Florida measured 19 feet long. In Asia, these snakes can reach 20-25 feet in length so truly, it is just a matter of time before one that size is caught in my home state of Florida.

During the Summer, python hunters primarily operate at night which is when these invasive snakes are more active. There’s no shortage of ways to seek them out but finding them is a tall order. They have perfect camouflage for South Florida and the Florida Everglades.

One of the most effective ways to find them is using a flashlight to quickly scan large areas and look for the shine of the eyes on these snakes. And despite hunting at night, as you can see here, it is still very HOT and HUMID this time of year in Florida. The insects can also be insufferable at times. But for those who believe in removing as many of these invasive snakes as possible in order to protect the natural flora and fauna of South Florida, the reward can be an 18-foot Burmese python such as this absolute unit:

According to Local News 10, they never got to weigh this python but estimated its weight to be around 170 pounds. The record-setting 19-footer caught in July of last year weighed considerably less than that at 125 pounds:

That record-setting 19-foot Burmese python weighing 125 pounds certainly doesn’t mean the 18 footer caught above didn’t weight 170 pounds. Those 45 pounds could easily be made up by girth or a large meal in the snake’s belly. These invasive snakes have been known to prey on everything from alligators to deer to endangered species in The Florida Keys.

Who Can Catch And Remove These Snakes In Florida

Here in Florida, there is no limit on the size or number of Burmese pythons that can be humanely captured and removed throughout the year. The state offers guidance on how to humanely dispatch these invasive species but encourages their removal as they have been proliferating in South Florida for years.

Recently, the annual Florida Python Challenge wrapped up where hundreds of hunters from all over the state, country, and world travel to South Florida to capture and cull as many of these invasive Burmese pythons as possible. This year’s competition drew in 875 registrants which was considerably fewer than last year’s 1,050 python hunters participating in the challenge.

The capture and removal of these large snakes is crucial in the fight to stem their rapid growth. Larger snakes can have 50 to 100 eggs in their belly at a time. The Python Cowboy captured this 16-foot Burmese python last July that had 60 eggs in its belly at the time of capture.

For those who want to get involved with the capture and removal of these invasive Burmese pythons but aren’t sure where to start, there are a lot of options. An entire industry of ‘guided python hunts’ has popped up in the past few years in Southwest Florida in and around the Florida Everglades. Just head on over to Google for options and trusted reviews.