# Exploding pythons



## Colin1 (Jul 17, 2009)

Another escaped Burmese Python, think this one bit off more than he could chew... 

BBC NEWS | Americas | Snake bursts after gobbling gator


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## RabidAlien (Jul 17, 2009)

Dang. That's some serious indigestion!


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## Colin1 (Jul 17, 2009)

Potentially quite serious though
it's been 'introduced' into the Everglades and it's challenging the guy at the top of the food chain for supremacy; what was the biggest snake in there before the Burmese Python showed up?


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## A4K (Jul 17, 2009)

Great find Colin! Saw the photo a long time ago, but it's a classic!


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## DerAdlerIstGelandet (Jul 17, 2009)

That is the problem with people getting snakes that are too big. Once theu are too large, they don't know what to do with them. They release them in places where they do not belong. Burmese are not native to the Americas.

Shame that this happens from time to time. I miss my 10ft. Burmese, that was a beautiful snake.


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## lesofprimus (Jul 17, 2009)

Heres a video clip on the pic...


Embedded media from this media site is no longer available


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## Doughboy (Jul 17, 2009)

WOW


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## Wayne Little (Jul 17, 2009)

Mmm.....interesting stuff!8)


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## diddyriddick (Jul 17, 2009)

DerAdlerIstGelandet said:


> That is the problem with people getting snakes that are too big. Once theu are too large, they don't know what to do with them. They release them in places where they do not belong. Burmese are not native to the Americas.
> 
> Shame that this happens from time to time. I miss my 10ft. Burmese, that was a beautiful snake.



Its not only w/ snakes. Among others, African Lions are a common choice for pets....At least until they are over 400 lbs and eating 15 lbs of food a day. When I worked at the Little Rock Zoo, our African Lion was declawed, so he couldn't be reintroduced to other Lions. Very sad.


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## wheelsup_cavu (Jul 17, 2009)

We had a "scare" in Los Angeles in 2005.
Someone’s pet Tiger got loose and they shot it instead of tranquilizing it.
IIRC it was more the owner's fault it was shot because they had been lying to the police about losing it.

Tiger Killed Near Reagan Library - CBS News

There's video of the animal roaming the hillside from a helicopter right before they shot it but I can't find it.


Wheels


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## syscom3 (Jul 17, 2009)

Colin1 said:


> Potentially quite serious though
> it's been 'introduced' into the Everglades and it's challenging the guy at the top of the food chain for supremacy; what was the biggest snake in there before the Burmese Python showed up?



Probably a rattlesnake.


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## diddyriddick (Jul 17, 2009)

wheelsup_cavu said:


> We had a "scare" in Los Angeles in 2005.
> Someone’s pet Tiger got loose and they shot it instead of tranquilizing it.
> IIRC it was more the owner's fault it was shot because they had been lying to the police about losing it.
> 
> ...



I remember that. The owner was lucky he didn't get mauled by the damned thing. A couple of times a year, we see in the news about a Lion/Tiger/Chimpanzee/etc. killing someone, often the owner him/herself. Am I missing something, or is keeping a wild animal a bad idea?


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## lesofprimus (Jul 17, 2009)

As for the king of the swamp, heres some pics....


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## lingo (Jul 17, 2009)

diddyriddick said:


> I remember that. The owner was lucky he didn't get mauled by the damned thing. A couple of times a year, we see in the news about a Lion/Tiger/Chimpanzee/etc. killing someone, often the owner him/herself. Am I missing something, or is keeping a wild animal a bad idea?



I'm with you, diddyriddick. It is a bad idea, and an irresponsible one. Far too many dangerous creatures have been released to the wild by owners who have tired/become frightened of them.


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## GrauGeist (Jul 17, 2009)

Colin1 said:


> ...what was the biggest snake in there before the Burmese Python showed up?


I'm pretty sure the Eastern Indigo snake is the largest native snake to North America, getting almost 9 feet in length.

The Diamondback Rattlesnake can be heavier (larger in diameter).


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## vikingBerserker (Jul 17, 2009)

II'm more up to date on the poisonous snakes then the non - is that also known as a black snake????


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## GrauGeist (Jul 17, 2009)

VB, it's pretty much black overall, but has an iridescent shine to it, kind of like a pearl paint job.

A real aggressive hunter but very docile around humans, which is probably why is becoming endangered


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## Njaco (Jul 17, 2009)

I don't know about the Indigo but the Black Rat Snake is VERY common along with the Black Racer. Both non-posionous.

Most of your common snakes in NA can get up to 10 feet long. With Florida being a major port for illegal exotic animals and its numerous devastating storms, you are starting to see non-native species of animals flourishing.

A few years ago there was a 23 foot snake (don't know what type - maybe anaconda) that was living in a Senior Citizen trailer park in Florida under one of the mobile homes, eating small dogs. Animal Control finally caught it. That would have been the day I quit! I saw video of it and it took about 8 - 10 men just to hold it up.

Largest I ever caught was a 13 ft albino Burmese python that nobody ever came in to claim. Just slithering down a sidewalk in a residential area.


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