Monster python killed in South Florida

[News Bot]

A 5.7 metre-long, 58 kilogram python has been killed by a snake handler in the US - but not before it began to wrap itself around his leg.

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Published On: 21-May-13 08:47 AM
Source: via NEWS.com.au

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[Justdragons]

Dunno how i feel about him killing it. pest or not.. If you can not handle a snake that big leave it alone..

 

[harlemrain]

That's crazy! 18ft long and he just goes up to it's head and grabs it....experienced or not you should have at least one other person right next to you when dealing with something that large, then maybe killing it could have been avoided

 

[Varanoidea]

Dunno how i feel about him killing it. pest or not.. If you can not handle a snake that big leave it alone..

It's against the law not to remove it. Pythons are the cane toads of Florida.

 

[B_STATS]

Pfft. Americans. Surprised he didn't use a gun. Americans love their guns.

 

[moosenoose]

I'm sure if there was a salt water croc swimming around the Yarra here in Melb it'd be considered a pest....but you'd be stupid (like this bloke was) to get in there and try and remove it without having a clue :lol: This guy was lucky it didn't kill him.

 

[B_STATS]

I'm sure if there was a salt water croc swimming around the Yarra here in Melb it'd be considered a pest....but you'd be stupid (like this bloke was) to get in there and try and remove it without having a clue :lol: This guy was lucky it didn't kill him.

Yeah. You wouldn't get some glory boy go and kill it with a knife in Australia.

 

[Justdragons]

where is dundee when ya need him lol

 

[JezJez]

I know they're considered a pest down in Florida, but what a shame he killed it. What was he thinking grabbing a wild snake that size by the head and by himself??

 

[imported_Varanus]

I'm sure if there was a salt water croc swimming around the Yarra here in Melb it'd be considered a pest.....

Think a saltie would be the least of your worries in the Yarra Moose; do people even swim in it anymore (apart from the 3 eyed ones)?

 

[MarlaChoodles]

Ugh, they are an invasive species here in the states but not nearly as bad as the media lets on that it is. Once winter hits even in the south a lot of them don't survive.
Fish and wildlife had a competition which was insane where untrained people went out python hunting. The amount of pythons actually found was quite small for the number of people who where searching for them if that say anything.
The burmese have been in Florida since the late 70s, it hasn't been until recently that they've made it into a big deal.
Kind of like pit bulls.
I wonder how many of the eastern indigo snakes suffered from this python hunt.

 

[BeZaKa]

What a hero, killing the snake that was doing him no harm. I am a ware that they are a "pest" over there but it doesn't make it go down any better. And the Big Bad Snake started wrapping itself around his leg..... how dare the evil snake defend himself like that, doesn't he know that he should have rolled over, presented his belly and cut himself up into nicely shaped shoes and hand bags??? Rant over :x

 

[ShaunMorelia]

...I am a ware that they are a "pest" over there but it doesn't make it go down any better...

We have a "connection" with reptiles, where quite a few people do not. So this can cloud our judgement when it comes to them being classed a pest species and are currently trying to be erradicated.
Sure there are much better ways of going about it, but at least something is being done. (Although their wild horse issue is much more damaging than the exotic python issue in the Everglades, but that's another topic altogether.)


Another example of a pest reptile problem is in Guam, where Brown Tree Snakes migrated over along with the boats shipping timber for construction from Australia during one of the World Wars.
They are now such a problem there that the authorities are doing baited mouse drops to help errdicate them as they have come close or have already wiped out several species of animals native to that area.
Not only are they a danger to the local wildlife there, but they are a danger to mechanical issues with the local Aircraft at the airport.

 

[MarlaChoodles]

Honestly the biggest threat to wildlife here is the common house cat but they don't dare put any restrictions on them....

 

[BeZaKa]

My issue is with the vilification of animals in this case the Burmese. I have lately been watching documentaries where supposedly animal friendly nature shows throw the word "deadly" and "could easily kill a child/man" a little too liberally. I am relatively new to the reptile world and have always been wary of snakes but came into it with an open mind. I will be the first to admit that I am not necessarily a greenie ( not that there is anything wrong with being a greenie) however provoking an animal than wondering why it defended itself is a little beyond my scope of understanding. Again I understand that in Florida they are classed as a pest but I also recently watched a show where they burnt out a considerable area of land to get at some Burmese and after razing the area found none..... My question... how much habitat did they destroy, how many non invasive animals died because Burmese have been pegged as a pest now every Tom Dick and Harry is out gunning for them. Maybe they should control who can hunt them and how. Again I know Im on a rant but man this really peeves me.

 

[dabigjhemzehh]

This is beyond comprehension.

 

[MarlaChoodles]

BeZaka.. you nailed it right on the head.
There is a lot of endangered wildlife in Florida including the gopher tortoise and the Eastern Indigo Snake(which in my opinion is one of North Americas most amazing species), they are letting anyone hunt these pythons to gain a small reward and at what cost.

 

[BeZaKa]

Thanks MarlaChoodles. This topic just boils my blood. Hard to bite my tongue when people go in and blindly destroy and kill.

 

[Echiopsis]

I can't see the problem. Next you'll be telling me I shouldn't shoot feral cats and foxes....

 

[B_STATS]

I heard Humans are a problem in Florida...