'Record-Breaking' Invasive Python Nest With 111 Eggs Found in Florida

A record-breaking invasive python nest has been caught and removed in the Florida Everglades.

The Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission shared how a large invasive Burmese python with a nest of 111 eggs was removed by one of their contractors earlier this week. The commission described it as a "record-breaking invasive python nest."

The unique natural ecosystem in the Everglades spreads from Lake Okeechobee in the north to the south of the Florida Bay and the Gulf of Mexico.

Lisa Thompson from the Division of Habitat and Species Conservation at the Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission told Newsweek: "Brandon Rahe, a contractor with the FWC's Python Action Team, Removing Invasive Constrictors, removed the python and the nest last Friday.

"It was on a nest of 111 laid eggs, which is a record-size python nest removed for Florida—the record refers to the number of laid eggs. The adult female python was 13 feet, 9 inches long," she explained.

A UNESCO World Heritage site, the site is packed with natural wildlife such as raccoons, opossums, rabbits, deer, birds and alligators, turtles, lizards and more.

But much of the Everglades' natural wildlife and local ecosystem has been negatively impacted by the presence of non-native Burmese pythons.

Considered an invasive species, the snakes are native to Southeast Asia and were introduced to the area as a result of pet releases or escapes.

The first reported sighting of Burmese pythons in the Everglades was in the 1980s. While sightings were originally sporadic, they have since increased, and the population has become established, leading to increased issues for native wildlife.

Burmese pythons prey on native mammals like marsh rabbits, opossums and deer, birds such as waterfowl, and ground-nesting birds who often have eggs and nestlings stolen by the reptiles for food.

Other reptiles and native amphibians are also at risk, with Burmese pythons observed preying on American alligators, turtles and lizards in the region. Similarly frog and toad populations have also been impacted.

Earlier this week, a Florida student was filmed wrestling a 19-foot python as it lunged and coiled around him in the Big Cypress National Preserve.

Meanwhile, another snake trapper in Florida's Everglades recently caught a 16-foot-long female loaded with over 60 eggs.

"Burmese pythons negatively impact the Everglades ecosystem by preying upon and competing with native wildlife," said The Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission. "The removal of this python and the 111 unhatched eggs helps to prevent future negative impacts to our native wildlife."

This catch comes ahead of the annual ten-day Florida Python Challenge, which encourages people to get involved in Everglades conservation through invasive species removal.

Running between August 4 and August 13, Governor Ron DeSantis, the FWC, SFWMD and the Fish & Wildlife Foundation of Florida host the Florida Python Challenge. Interested parties are invited to register for the event, take the required online training and plan their trip to south Florida to participate in the Florida Python Challenge.

"One of the primary goals for the Florida Python Challenge® is to help raise awareness about invasive species in Florida and inspire people to get directly involved in removing invasive species from Florida's ecosystems," explained Thompson.

Sponsored by Inversa Leathers, a grand prize of $10,000 and runner-up prize of $7,500 sponsored by the Bergeron Everglades Foundation are up for grabs.

Burmese pythons and other nonnative reptiles can be humanely killed on private lands at any time with landowner permission, as well as on 32 Commission-managed lands year-round, no permits or hunting license needed.

Update 07/17/23, 03:13 a.m. ET: This article was updated with additional information from the Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission.