Giant python captured in Florida Everglades

A Burmese python 18ft (5.4m) long was captured in the Everglades, Florida’s Fish and Wildlife and Conservation Commission (FWC) said Wednesday.

The snake was caught in the Francis S. Taylor Wildlife Management Area, an expanse of nearly 700,000 acres (283,500 hectares) west of Miami.

On its Facebook page, the FWC posted a picture of the snake stretched out on a sidewalk.

People are more likely to see pythons in daylight hours during the cooler months, an FWC spokesperson said.

A contractor working with a program created to eliminate Burmese python from the Everglades recently captured a snake 17ft (5.3m) long and weighing nearly 121lbs (55kg).

To date, 1,856 pythons have been removed from the Everglades, the South Florida Water Management District said.

Burmese pythons, a non-native species, have a negative impact on the Everglades eco-system.