iStockphoto / dndavis
A Florida man dressed in a Santa Claus hat captured a 153-pound invasive Burmese python on Christmas Eve. He shared a photo of the snake slung over his shoulder like a knight carrying a dragon back from battle and it truly puts into perspective the size of these invasive pythons here in Florida.
Using ‘male scout snakes’ to locate the breeding female, Conservancy of Southwest Florida wildlife biologist Ian Easterling was able to capture and remove one of the largest invasive pythons caught this year.
Florida Man Dressed As Santa Captures 153-Pound Invasive Burmese Python
The Conservancy of Southwest Florida is located in Naples, FL which sits just on the outskirts of unbridled wilderness in the form of the Everglades National Park. This part of Florida is ground zero in the battle against invasive Burmese pythons which are proliferating throughout SW Florida virtually unchecked because they are perfectly camouflaged for the region.
Field biologist Ian Easterling at the Conservancy is no stranger to capturing huge pythons in this area. In February of last year, he caught a 16-foot, 120-pound female Burmese python while guiding some Conservancy members on a ‘python experience.’
And when a 19-foot snake was captured two years ago, Easterling said at the time “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.”
Large Breeding Female Captured Using Male ‘Scout’ Snakes
Knowing that it is breeding season, the field biologists have employed male ‘scout’ snakes with trackers which lead them to the large females. This enables them to remove the massive female snakes and prevent hundreds of eggs from being laid in the Everglades.
Ian Easterling posted this photo on Christmas Eve wearing his Santa Claus hat with the snake slung over his shoulder. Look closely at just how wide this snake is!
For context, this invasive Burmese python weights 153-pounds. The average adult male in Pakistan weighs 145.5 pounds. In Belarus, the average adult male weighs 152.1 pounds. In Russia, the average adult male weighs 155.6 pounds. So this snake weighs just slightly less than the average adult male in Russia. Let that sink in for a moment, that these snakes are slithering around the Everglades.
The Conservancy made huge news back in June when it was announced they had successfully removed 20 tons of invasive Burmese pythons from Florida since 2013. This is an ongoing fight and one that surely won’t be over anytime soon but removing XL breeding females such as this 153-pounder goes a long way in preventing localized explosions in the snake populations.