Burmese pythons found farther north in Collier County

According to the Florida Fish & Wildlife Commission, a passerby discovered a Burmese python on Friday afternoon near the intersection of Collier Boulevard and Vanderbilt Beach Road.

The snake, which was discovered dead, was around 8 feet long and represents one of Collier County’s northernmost findings,according to a recent article by Ryan Arbogast of NBC2.

“I believe we will start to see more pythons in this area shortly; I would call this the invasion front.” Dr. Andrew Durso, a wildlife biologist at Florida Gulf Coast University, stated, “We don’t know what will happen. Maybe they can adapt and live in other types of habitats.”

Burmese pythons are apex predators and an invasive species, according to the FWC. Snakes have reduced mammal populations in the Florida Everglades by up to 90% and pose a threat to small pets and animals.

“It will depend on the availability of prey in more natural environments. We know that rabbits and other wildlife have dropped in the Everglades, yet they remain widespread in these regions. For how much longer? Nobody can honestly say… Perhaps the snakes in the Everglades have hit a carrying capacity. When individuals are born, they disperse,” Durso explained.

Wildlife trappers that remove Burmese pythons say that during the summer months, the pythons are more likely to travel because the habitats inside the Everglades change with the season. The Florida Python Challenge, which encourages residents to remove snakes, is also held around this time each year.

“It’s all about the food supply. If they lose a food source and the colony is too huge, they will begin to push out to gain ground. It is an absolute highway. They swim in the flowing water, just like cane toads do. Simple as that,” said Seth Brattain, the owner and operator of SlethReptiles, an invasive removal business that serves Port Charlotte to Marco Island.

“In the summer, we get 3 to 5 snake calls per day; it’s insane,” Brattain remarked.

If you come into contact with a snake you think to be a Burmese python, stay your distance, take a picture, and notify a local removal agency or FWC.

“Don’t try to lift them up. They have 180 razor-sharp, hook-shaped teeth. They’ll bite you, cut right through your skin, and if that doesn’t work, they’ll constrict, which you don’t want to be involved in,” Brattain warned.

This article originally appeared on NBC2.