Over that stretch, necropsies have found dozens of white-tailed deer inside Burmese pythons. Since the conservancy’s python program began in 2013, they’ve removed more than 1,000 pythons from approximately 100 sq miles (258 km) in south-west Florida. “This is the wildlife issue of our time for southern Florida,” he said. National Geographic documented the discovery, highlighting the continued impact of the invasive pythons, which are known for rapid reproduction and depletion of surrounding native wildlife.īartoszek said removal of female pythons plays a critical role in disrupting the breeding cycle. “We knew he was there for a reason, and the team found him with the largest female we have seen to date.”īiologist Ian Easterling and intern Kyle Findley helped capture the female snake and haul it through the woods to the field truck.Ī necropsy also found hoof cores in the snake’s digest system, meaning that an adult white-tailed deer was its last meal. The team used a scout snake named Dionysus – or Dion for short – in an area of the western Everglades. “How do you find the needle in the haystack? You could use a magnet, and in a similar way our male scout snakes are attracted to the biggest females around,” Bartoszek said.
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