Burmese pythons, one of the largest snake species in the world, could be the most destructive invasive animal in Florida Everglades history.
They can swim, burrow and climb trees, and they eat almost anything, including prey much larger than themselves.
Initially established in Everglades National Park in the early 1980s, Burmese pythons quickly put a stranglehold on Florida’s wildlife, contributing to the decline of small mammals, including raccoons, opossums, bobcats, foxes, marsh rabbits and cottontail rabbits.
What lies within a Burmese python may be just as horrifying and destructive.
Pythons carry a deadly parasitic worm that feeds on the lungs of native snakes and has spread to at least 34 Florida counties.
Here’s what to know:
➤ WATCH: ‘Godzilla’ the alligator hauls massive Burmese python through water in Florida Everglades
How did Burmese pythons get to Florida?
Burmese pythons are native to Southeast Asia. Many of the invasive snakes came to the U.S. because of their popularity in the pet trade, according to the U.S. Geological Survey.
The snakes were then intentionally or accidentally released in South Florida.
The initial wild population is believed to have originated from a small number of escaped or released pet pythons at the southern end of Everglades National Park in the early 1980s, USGS reported.
How many Burmese pythons are in Florida, Everglades?
The Burmese python’s ability to live in various South Florida environments, along with the difficulty of accessing some areas, make it impossible to get an exact count.
“Burmese pythons are hard to find due to their cryptic coloration and secretive behaviors, and their low detection probability is a major challenge to effective python control and research,” according to Florida Fish and Wildlife.
The USGS estimates the Burmese python population in Florida’s Everglades in the tens of thousands.
Where are Burmese pythons found in Florida?
According to Florida Fish and Wildlife, Burmese pythons are established just south of Lake Okeechobee to Key Largo and from western Broward County to Collier County, including:
Any pythons found outside of those areas are likely escaped or released captive animals.
However, “due to the cryptic nature of pythons, it can take a while to gather enough evidence to confirm new areas of establishment,” FWC said.
Biggest python caught in Florida?
Burmese pythons are among the largest snakes in the world, with adults averaging between 10 and 16 feet long, according to the University of Florida.
Python hunters caught the longest Burmese python ever measured on July 10, 2023, in the Big Cypress National Preserve in eastern Collier County. The monster snake was 19 feet long.
The heaviest Burmese python ever recorded was caught by Conservancy of Southwest Florida biologists in the Everglades in 2022. The female python weighed an eye-popping 215 pounds and was nearly 18 feet long.
Do Burmese pythons bite? Are they venomous?
Burmese pythons are non-venomous. They constrict their prey, then swallow it.
While not venomous and not generally aggressive to humans, Burmese pythons have large, sharp teeth that can cause severe lacerations and they will bite when disturbed.
How many people have been killed by pythons in Florida?
There have been no human deaths from wild Burmese pythons reported in Florida.
Can you shoot Burmese pythons in Florida?
Reptiles not native to Florida are not protected in the state except by anti-cruelty law.
Shooting Burmese pythons is permitted as long as state and local firearms rules are followed and the animal loses consciousness immediately.
The animal’s brain should then be destroyed by pithing to prevent it from regaining consciousness, according to FWC.
Burmese pythons in Florida carry deadly snake lungworm parasite
According to the University of Florida, the snake lungworm or Raillietiella orientalis is a deadly parasitic worm introduced to Florida in the 1990s via the invasive Burmese python.
Because of their size, pythons have large lungs that can accommodate large parasites and they’ve evolved to resist infection and disease from the parasites.
How is snake lungworm R. orientalis transmitted to Florida snakes?
Snake lungworm is transmitted when cockroaches and other insects eat the egg-laden feces of an infected snake and pass the parasite to small mammals and reptiles.
When a snake eats the infected species, the parasite larvae immediately travel to the lungs, feeding on the snake’s blood and causing organ damage.
“Those larvae bore — it’s super weird — but they bore directly into the lungs; they make a straight path to the lungs,” Jenna Palmisano, a doctoral student at the University of Central Florida told the National Wildlife Federation in 2024.
The snake lungworm has been found to cause lesions, inflammation, infections, sepsis, pneumonia and eventually death among the snakes it inhabits.
According to the University of Florida, the initial discovery of snake lungworm in Florida coincided with declines in snake populations in certain regions of the south and central portions of the state.
However, additional evidence is needed to fully understand the threat posed by the parasite’s prevalence and spread.
How big does snake lungworm parasite get?
“Snakes get really intense infections. Two weeks ago, I dissected a black racer that had 107 of these parasites, and they are large. They are really big,” Palmisano told NWF.
According to Palmisano, snake lungworms can grow to more than 4 inches long, while some black racers, for example, grow to only 35 inches long.
What native Florida snakes are affected by snake lungworm
The lethal parasite affects 18 of Florida’s 46 native snake species, from black racers, dusky pygmy rattlesnakes, garter snakes and eastern indigo snakes to cottonmouths, coachwhips and banded water snakes.
According to UF, the cottonmouth has shown signs of resistance against the parasite.
How to report snake lungworm in Florida
If you see a dead or dying snake with potential worms crawling from its mouth, take a photo as close as possible.
Report the find to Snake Lungworm Alliance & Monitoring (SLAM) here.
This article originally appeared on Palm Beach Post: Burmese python parasite is killing native Florida snakes and spreading fast
Reporting by Kim Luciani, USA TODAY NETWORK – Florida / Palm Beach Post
USA TODAY Network via Reuters Connect
