Snakes are slithering north: Where Burmese pythons have been spotted in Florida

Burmese pythons – nonvenomous, but large enough to eat alligators and household pets – are moving north across Florida from the Everglades toward Georgia, taking out hundreds of native species and dominating the region.

The pythons, which can live up to 20 years and grow as long as 23 feet, reproduce quickly. Florida has started statewide hunts to control the population.

The snakes are “one of the most destructive invasive species affecting the Sunshine State,” according to the Fish & Wildlife Foundation of Florida.

Where do Burmese pythons live?

Originally from Southeast Asia, the Burmese python has been introduced to southern Florida either through accidental escape or intentional release of captive animals.

In 1979, the first observation of a Burmese python in the wild in South Florida was recorded in Everglades National Park. The heaviest python ever caught in Florida was an 18-foot, 215-pound snake. It was caught by a biologist with the Conservancy of Southwest Florida in Naples in 2021.

Size of the Burmese python

The Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission keeps track of length and weight of Burmese pythons after sightings are reported. The longest Burmese python ever captured in Florida, in July 2023, measured more than19 feet.

Where have Burmese pythons been found in Florida?

Summer is best time of year to see a Burmese python. During the summer months, Burmese pythons may remain sedentary when the sun is up, but at night they may become more active and more easily spotted crossing levees or roadways.

A U.S. Geological Survey report last year shows that Burmese pythons are expanding their range so quickly that it can be marked in miles per year in some areas.

How do Burmese pythons eat?

Burmese pythons prey on mammals, birds and other reptiles.  They swallow prey whole. Their jaws separate and allow the python to take in an animal four to five times as wide as its head.

What should you do if you see a Burmese python?

The Florida Python Challenge python removal competition is Aug. 9 to Aug. 18. The challenge is a conservation effort to help protect the rare Everglades habitat and the animals that live there.

If you spot a Burmese python, take a photo, mark your location, and call the Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission at 888-483-4681. You can humanely kill Burmese pythons on private land at any time with landowner permission. You don't need a permit to kill the invasive species. Live transport of pythons is not allowed.

There are multiple ways to humanely euthanize a python, but here are the basic guidelines from the fish and wildlife commission:

• Step 1: Immediate loss of consciousness
  • Use a captive bolt, firearm or air gun to shoot directly to the brain.
• Step 2: Destroy the brain
  • Make sure the python is unconscious
  • Insert a small rod, like a screwdriver, spike or pick, into the cranial cavity and twist it to ensure the entire brain is destroyed.

Contributing: Chad Gillis, Mark H. Bickel and Kendall Little, Naples Daily News

Sources: Paste BN Network reporting and research; Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission; EDDMapS, University of Georgia Center for Invasive Species and Ecosystem Health; Getty Images