19-Foot Python Killed In Florida Sets New Record

A record breaking 19-foot python was killed in Florida this month by a man in Miami-Dade County.

The Burmese Pyton is an invasive species in Florida and it isn’t uncommon for a person in Florida to go out of their way to kill one of the snakes. This python, however, was newsworthy due to its enormous size.

According to Yahoo News, pythons in Florida are about 6 to 9 feet long on average. The python that was killed on May 11 by Floridian Jason Leon came in at 18 feet and 8 inches long. It weighed 128 lbs and is the largest python to ever be captured in Florida.

The New Press reports that Leon was driving down the road when he spotted the snake sticking out of the bush. Leon got out of his car, grabbed the snake by its neck, and dragged it out to the road. The snake tried to wrap itself around his leg but Leon pulled a knife and killed the python.

Kristen Sommers, the Florida Wildlife Commission’s exotic species coordination leader, said: “Jason Leon’s nighttime sighting and capture of a Burmese python of more than 18 feet in length is a notable accomplishment that set a Florida record. The FWC is grateful to him both for safely removing such a large Burmese python and for reporting its capture.”

According to Live Science, pythons first became a problem in Florida in the 1990s after exotic pet owners released a few into the wild. Since then, the population of Burmese pythons has grown to about 100,000.

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