The Conservancy of Southwest Florida – The longest Burmese python caught in Florida has been documented.

In the early morning hours on July 10, a group of passionate python hunters caught a female Burmese python.

Interested to learn the full scope of the size of their catch, the team contacted the Conservancy of Southwest Florida’s python team to collect measurements.

The results: 19 feet or 579cm. and 125 pounds, officially the longest ever documented. The longest Burmese python previously recorded in Florida was 18 feet 9 inches.

Jake Waleri, 22, found the snake in Big Cypress National Preserve. “We brought the snake to the Conservancy to be officially measured and documented. We wanted to donate this find to science.”

Born and raised in Naples, Florida, Waleri understands the importance of removing this invasive apex predator out of Southwest Florida’s ecosystem. “It’s awesome to be able to make an impact on South Florida’s environment. We love this ecosystem and try to preserve it as much as possible.”

The Conservancy of Southwest Florida’s Burmese python research and removal team is no stranger to these large animals. In fact, they currently hold their own record after catching the heaviest Burmese python ever documented in Florida in June 2022. The female python weighed 215 pounds.

Ian Easterling, Conservancy Biologist states, “We had a feeling that these snakes get this big and now we have clear evidence. Her genetic material may prove valuable for an eventual understanding of the founding population of South Florida. We will be collecting measurements and samples that will be distributed to our research collaborators.”

The Conservancy of Southwest Florida is an environmental nonprofit in Naples, Florida. Our program has responded to the threat of the invasive Burmese python for 10 years.

Through research and removal efforts, the Conservancy continues to control the spread of this invasive species by using science-based solutions and humane tactics.

To date, the Conservancy has removed more than 30,000 pounds of python from an approximately 150 square mile area in southwestern Florida. Visit our program details for more.