Terrifying pics show largest-ever python found outside native habitat after 18-foot-long snake caught in Florida wild
TERRIFYING photos show the largest python captured in Florida to date after the 18-foot snake was found in the Everglades.
The python was nearly 18 feet long and over 215 pounds, with the widest part of her body measuring 25 inches, wildlife officials say.
The Conservancy of Southwest Florida caught the record-breaking snake last December by using a technique to lure female pythons.
Dion, a male "scout snake" led the team straight to the discovery using a GPS tracking device.
According to , the researchers were able to capture the 18-foot snake and secure it in a bag to be transported to the lab.
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The invasive species were likely brought over from Southeast Asia in the exotic pet trade of the 1970s, ABC News reported.
Biologist Sarah Funck of the Florida Fish and Wildlife Commission told National Geographic that the presence of Burmese pythons can alter the ecosystem, making it important to remove them.
The record-breaking reptile was euthanized after being captured.
This is a common practice for the Florida Fish and Wildlife Commission, which has killed over 15,000 pythons since 2000, according to the
After executing the catch last December, researchers left the python in a freezer until April.
They were then able to perform the autopsy that revealed the record number of eggs.
Each python allows Florida researchers to learn more about the invasive species.
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Florida authorities are unsure as to how many pythons are still roaming free.