'A beast of a snake!' Trappers capture state record 18.9ft Burmese python from waist-deep canal in Florida Everglades
Snake trappers in Florida broke a state record over the weekend when they captured a Burmese python in the Everglades that measures 18.9ft long.
Ryan Ausburn and Kevin ‘Snakeaholic’ Pavlidis, two python hunters contracted to eliminate the invasive creatures by state and local agencies, found the animal on Friday along the L-28 Tieback Canal.
The L-28 Canal is located deep in the heart of the Everglades some 35 miles west of Miami.
‘On Friday night, we pulled this BEAST of a snake out of waist-deep water in the middle of the night, deep in the Everglades,’ Pavlidis wrote on his Facebook page.
From left: Kevin Pavlidis, Ryan Ausburn, and Angela Scafuro hold an 18.9ft Burmese python captured last Friday in the Florida Everglades
The snake is the longest on record that has ever been trapped in the State of Florida
The python, which is considered an invasive species, was trapped some 35 miles west of Miami
Pavlidis lies down next to the animal after its capture this past Friday night
‘On Friday night, we pulled this BEAST of a snake out of waist-deep water in the middle of the night, deep in the Everglades,’ Pavlidis wrote on his Facebook page
‘I have never seen a snake anywhere near this size and my hands were shaking as I approached her.
‘Every python we catch can be potentially dangerous, but one this size? Lethal.
‘One mistake, and I am for sure going to the hospital.
‘But more importantly, this is a once in a lifetime snake.
‘I could go out every single night for the rest of my life and never see one this big again.’
Ausburn, Pavlidis, and their assistant, Angela Scafuro, posted video of the snake being captured.
Pavlidis and Ausburn are seen gaining control of the Burmese python at the L-28 Canal on Friday
Ausburn is seen clamping down on the snake's head after it was captured on Friday
Ausburn wrote on Facebook that he noticed the snake in the water and grabbed it by the tail so that Pavlidis could go for the animal’s head.
‘As I grabbed her by the rear end and started pulling her she immediately turned back and anchored herself around a tree,’ Ausburn wrote on his Facebook page.
‘It took every ounce of strength to keep her from slipping away while was goin for her head.
‘He quickly got control of the head and made the decision to hand her over to me.
‘I then kept fighting to keep her from pulling her head loose while kept her from wrapping me up.
‘It may not look like it, but it was an absolute battle.’
In the past two years, Pavlidis said he has caught more than 400 snakes. Yet none of them have come close to the size of this one.
On Thursday, the snake was officially measured by the South Florida Water Management District, according to WFOR-TV.
The previous record for longest Burmese python measured in at 18.8ft.
Florida state wildlife agencies have been busy in recent years removing the Burmese pythons from the Everglades, where the invasive species are being blamed for upsetting the local ecosystem.
Last month, wildlife officials celebrated after announcing that more than 5,000 Burmese pythons were removed from the Florida Everglades since elimination efforts began three years ago.
Ausburn wrote that he and Pavlidis had to 'battle' in order to get the animal under control
The two trappers managed to pry the snake from the water on Friday night
The snake is seen wrapping its body around Ausburn as he struggles to get it under control
Ausburn manages to pull the animal toward the road in the Florida Everglades on Friday
The surprising milestone was announced in a statement on July 28 by the Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission and the South Florida Water Management District , which worked together on the Python Elimination Program.
'Removing these invasive snakes gives our state’s amazing native species a better chance at survival and is a critical part of conserving the one-of-a-kind Everglades ecosystem,' the agencies wrote.
Under Governor Ron DeSantis, Florida wildlife officials launched the Python Elimination Program to remove the scores of Burmese pythons that have slowly inundated local wildlife.
In 2017, Florida wildlife agencies started paying trappers to capture and kill the invasive species.
Officials offered trappers hourly rates for time spent hunting and even supplied cash bonuses for longer snakes.
'An additional incentive payment of $50 for each python measuring up to 4 feet plus an extra $25 for each foot measured above 4 feet,' according to the SFWMD website.
'An additional $200 for each eliminated python found guarding "nests" with eggs.'
Two Florida wildlife agencies announced in July that more than 5,000 Burmese pythons have been removed from the Florida Everglades
Burmese pythons, which are native to Southeast Asia, were introduced to Florida more than 20 years ago as a result of escaped or released pets.
They found shelter in the Everglades and South Florida, which is where Burmese pythons are still found today. However, they've begun traveling north as well.
In Florida, it is illegal to release nonnative species into the wild since they can negatively impact native wildlife and upset the ecosystem's balance.
Burmese pythons have shifted the dynamics in the Everglades and South Florida after it was introduced.
The snake feasts on local populations like birds, rabbits and possums, which takes food resources away from native wildlife species like alligators and panthers.
They are an apex predator that can grow more than 20 feet long and are considered one of the largest snakes in the world.
The exact number of pythons in the area has not been determined, but it's estimated to be tens of thousands.
The public can help control nonnative invasive wildlife by reporting sightings to the FWC’s Exotic Species Hotline at 888-IveGot1 (888-483-4681), online at IveFot1.org or by using the free smartphone app IVEGOT1.