Florida’s Everglades has become ground zero for an invasive species crisis that’s reshaping the ecosystem. Burmese pythons, originally released as unwanted pets, have multiplied into thousands of slithering predators consuming native wildlife at alarming rates.
Wildlife officials regularly discover specimens of jaw-dropping size during their ongoing battle against these massive reptiles.
These record-breaking snakes demonstrate just how successful these Asian invaders have become in the Sunshine State.
1. The Everglades Monster – 18.9 Feet Of Pure Muscle
In 2014, a python hunter stumbled upon what would become Florida’s largest recorded Burmese python. Stretching an incredible 18.9 feet long and weighing 128 pounds, this female giant shattered previous state records.
Scientists examining the snake discovered she had recently consumed three white-tailed deer – evidence of the devastating impact these predators have on native wildlife. The snake’s massive size shocked even veteran wildlife officers who had spent decades in the field.
The capture made national headlines and intensified concerns about just how large these invasive reptiles could potentially grow in Florida’s hospitable climate.
2. The 17-Footer With 73 Developing Eggs
Wildlife biologists were astounded when they examined a 17-foot female python captured in Big Cypress National Preserve. Inside her body, they discovered 73 developing eggs – a reproductive capacity that sent shivers down the spines of conservation experts.
The snake weighed 140 pounds, with a girth as big as a telephone pole. Her capture in April 2019 highlighted the tremendous breeding potential of these invasive reptiles.
A single female can produce up to 100 eggs annually, explaining how quickly python populations have exploded across South Florida despite extensive eradication efforts.
3. The Heavyweight Champion – 215 Pounds Of Snake
When python hunters Mike Kimmel and Cody Blount hauled in their catch in December 2021, they needed four men just to lift it. The female Burmese python weighed an astounding 215 pounds – heavier than many adult humans.
Though not the longest snake captured in Florida at 16 feet, this python’s enormous girth made it the heaviest on record. Wildlife officials were particularly concerned because the snake was captured outside the known invasion zone.
This indicated the pythons were expanding their territory northward, potentially threatening wildlife in previously unaffected regions of the state.
4. The Python That Ate An Adult Deer
Park rangers responding to reports of an unusually large snake in 2018 discovered a 16-foot python with a suspicious bulge. X-rays revealed the snake had swallowed an entire adult white-tailed deer weighing approximately 76 pounds.
The snake’s ability to consume prey of this size demonstrated why Florida’s mammal populations had declined by more than 90% in some areas. Scientists were particularly alarmed by the python’s jaw flexibility and stomach capacity.
After documenting this remarkable predatory feat, officials euthanized the snake and performed a necropsy to better understand how these reptiles can consume such disproportionately large prey.
5. The Naples Neighborhood Nightmare – 15.7 Feet
Residents of a Naples, Florida neighborhood received the shock of their lives when a 15.7-foot python was discovered sunning itself on someone’s patio in 2019. The massive reptile had been feasting on local pets, with three cats and a small dog reported missing in the weeks prior.
Wildlife officers spent four hours capturing the snake, which fought vigorously despite having recently consumed a large meal. This urban capture highlighted how adaptable these invasive reptiles have become.
No longer confined to swamplands, pythons now regularly venture into residential areas, posing risks to pets and causing panic among homeowners.
6. The Snake That Took Six Men To Subdue
During a python elimination program in 2020, a team of six professional hunters encountered a snake so powerful it took all of them to control it. Measuring 16.5 feet long, the female python fought with unexpected strength and agility despite her enormous size.
Two hunters sustained minor injuries during the capture, including scratches and a dislocated thumb. The snake had been living in an abandoned agricultural canal, feeding on wading birds and small mammals.
Wildlife officials estimated the python was approximately 20 years old, suggesting it was likely one of the original released pets that started Florida’s python invasion decades earlier.
7. The Alligator-Eating Giant
In a remarkable display of predatory dominance, wildlife photographers captured images of a 16-foot python consuming a 6-foot alligator in Everglades National Park in 2017. The snake-versus-alligator encounter shocked scientists who had previously considered alligators to be apex predators in the ecosystem.
The python successfully constricted and swallowed the alligator headfirst over a five-hour period. This incident represented a fundamental shift in the Everglades food chain, with invasive pythons now capable of preying upon native predators.
Similar incidents have since been documented, confirming that large pythons regularly target alligators as prey.
8. The Record Breaker From Key Largo
Florida’s island communities were thought to be relatively safe from python invasion until 2016, when a 16.2-foot specimen was captured on Key Largo. The enormous snake had swum across Florida Bay, demonstrating these reptiles’ surprising swimming abilities.
Wildlife officials were particularly concerned because Key Largo is home to endangered species found nowhere else. The python had already consumed two Key Largo woodrats – a critically endangered species with fewer than 500 individuals remaining in the wild.
This capture prompted a new phase of python monitoring focused on protecting Florida’s vulnerable island ecosystems from these highly adaptable predators.
9. The Tamiami Trail Titan – 17.5 Feet
Motorists driving along Florida’s famous Tamiami Trail in 2022 reported what they thought was an injured anaconda crossing the road. Wildlife officers arrived to find a 17.5-foot Burmese python – one of the largest ever documented in the state.
The snake weighed 135 pounds and had a circumference of 25 inches at its widest point. Genetic testing revealed this specimen had hybrid vigor, showing DNA markers from both Burmese and Indian python species.
Scientists worry these hybrid snakes could develop enhanced cold tolerance, potentially allowing them to spread further north into other states.
10. The Python With 87 Eggs – Fertility Record Holder
University of Florida researchers were conducting a routine necropsy on a 16-foot python in 2018 when they made an unprecedented discovery. The female contained 87 developing eggs – the highest number ever recorded in a single Burmese python.
This extraordinary fertility explained why python control efforts had been so challenging despite thousands of snakes being removed annually. A single female with this reproductive capacity could repopulate an area even after intensive hunting efforts.
The snake had been captured near Homestead, Florida, an agricultural region where pythons feast on rodents attracted to crops and storage facilities.
11. The Backyard Monster Of Pembroke Pines
A Pembroke Pines family enjoying a barbecue in 2020 fled their backyard when their dog began barking frantically at what turned out to be a 15-foot python hiding beneath their deck. The suburban snake had been consuming local wildlife and small pets for months before being discovered.
Wildlife officers extracted the python, which weighed 118 pounds and showed signs of excellent health. The snake’s presence in a densely populated suburban area, over 20 miles from the Everglades, alarmed officials.
This incident triggered a new public awareness campaign about the expanding range of these invasive predators into urban environments.
12. The Collier County Colossus – 16.8 Feet
Amateur python hunters participating in Florida’s Python Challenge hit the jackpot in 2021 when they captured a 16.8-foot female in Collier County. The massive reptile had been living in agricultural drainage canals, feeding on everything from raccoons to wading birds.
What made this capture particularly notable was the snake’s age, estimated at 25 years based on growth rings in its vertebrae. This indicated the python was likely among the first generation released into the wild in the 1990s.
The capture earned the hunters a $10,000 prize and provided valuable data on python longevity in Florida’s ecosystem.