For some, this is an outdoor nightmare. An invasive 19-foot-long Burmese python was found and caught in Florida – setting a new record.
According to the Conservancy of Southwest Florida, 22-year-old Jake Waleri found the snake earlier this week in Big Cypress National Preserve and brought it in. They measured and weighed the snake, which is 125 pounds, and beat the old record of 18 feet and 9 inches.
Burmese pythons are an invasive species, and ongoing efforts exist to remove the snake from the preserve. Ecologists blame the snake for a 90% decline in native mammal populations in the area, meaning this is part of the conservation effort.
“It’s awesome to be able to make an impact on South Florida’s environment,” says Waleri. “We love this ecosystem and try to preserve it as much as possible.”
While this python is the longest, it’s not the heaviest. In June last year, the Conservancy caught a female snake weighing 215 pounds. The organization works to remove pythons from the area to protect native species. So far, they’ve brought in more than 30,000 pounds of snakes.
While these snakes appear threatening, there are no known human deaths from these snakes and attacks on humans are extremely rare.
