Burmese pythons are one of the biggest snake species in the world; they can reach over 20ft in length with a girth as big as a telegraph pole.
Whilst they are native to Southeast Asia, Burmese pythons are commonly kept as pets and many have been released into the wild when no longer wanted. There is now a wild population of these snakes breeding in the Everglades, Florida. They have no predators in the Everglades and so their population has exploded. Recent surveys have shown strong links between the decline of local mammals and the introduction of this species. Experts estimate that there are now around 30,000 wild Burmese pythons in Florida.
Burmese pythons kill their prey by constriction (coiling their bodies around the animal and squeezing until it suffocates). They have stretchy ligaments in their jaws allowing them to swallow large prey items whole. Some pythons in the Everglades have even been reported to have eaten alligators!
