Scientists from the University of Florida analysed large amounts of data collected to remove the snakes (Burmese Pythons), revealing critical insights about how to remove the reptiles most efficiently.
It is an invasive and alien species in Florida.
Scientific Name - Python bivittatus.
It is one of the largest snakes on Earth.
Native - Native to the jungles and grassy marshes of Southeast Asia.
Appearance - It is a dark-colored non-venomous snake with many brown blotches bordered by black down the back.
Growth - 23 feet or more in length and weighing up to 200 pounds.
They are also excellent swimmers, and can stay submerged for up to 30 minutes before surfacing for air.
Diet – Carnivores, surviving primarily on small mammals and birds.
They have poor eyesight, and stalk prey using chemical receptors in their tongues and heat-sensors along the jaws.
They kill by constriction, grasping a victim with their sharp teeth, coiling their bodies around the animal, and squeezing until it suffocates.
They are solitary animals and are generally only seen together during spring mating.
In both their native and invasive range they suffer from Raillietiella orientalis (pentastome parasitic disease).
Threats - Habitat depletion, pet trade, and hunting for their skins and flesh.
