Longest python ever caught in Florida killed by local resident

GlobalPost

A Miami man has killed the longest Python ever captured in Florida.

The Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission confirmed that the snake was killed 10 days ago by local resident Jason Leon.

Leon had been driving late at night in a rural area outside the city.

He said he spotted the tail of the snake coming out of the brush and, like any of us would do in that situation, he pulled the car over and yanked the snake out.

He must have pulled long and hard because the python he found was a record 18 feet and weighed 128 pounds.

The female snake, likely worried by this strange turn of events, wrapped herself around Leon's leg.

It was to no avail, however, as he had a large knife and stabbed the snake to death.

Pythons are considered invasive in Florida's Everglades.

The state even has a Python Challenge to see who can kill the most each year and longest each year.

It is unknown how the Burmese python made it to America.

Somebody or a few people released their snakes into the wild and now years later Burmese pythons are eating their way through native species.

The previous record for longest python was a 17-foot-7-inch snake that was killed in August last year.

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