United States | Conservation

Photograph: Getty Images

Aug 12th 2025|THE EVERGLADES|2 min read

Burmese pythons were introduced to Florida as exotic pets. The snakes grew too big to be good housemates and were released (or escaped) into the Everglades, where they feasted on native wildlife and bred rapidly. Pythons are largely responsible for a 95% drop in the number of furry animals in the park. No local species is immune: the snakes, which can grow to nearly 20 feet long, are known to strangle alligators and swallow them whole. They have no natural predator to speak of, so Florida man (and woman) has stepped in.

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