We can't just sit by and let this happen," he said. So that's definitely something we have to stay on top of. "At the end of the day, the last thing we need are these invasive critters eating all of our already struggling native wildlife. "Their populations have been wiped out 90 to 99 percent and that's a huge deal-that's unreal. "We've seen our native species populations plummet," Kimmel said, particularly animals like otters, marsh rabbits and raccoons. Kimmel said he removes the snakes from the ecosystem because they are wiping out native wildlife, particularly in the Everglades where they are most prevalent. "For me, it's a very big deal that I don't lose a snake and they're euthanized humanely." "People lose snakes every year because they're not comfortable with grabbing them, and they try to shoot them and they don't hit the brain perfectly and the snake gets away," he said. And that's why I capture them alive the way I do." "In order to properly do that, I need to gain control of the snake. 22 pistol and basically shoot it directly in the brain," Kimmel said. Then, obviously them getting around you."Īfter he catches a Burmese python, as in this case, Kimmel humanely euthanizes the snakes on site in accordance with state invasive species guidelines. "They can cause all kinds of nerve damage. "You should definitely avoid them biting you," Kimmel said. "Even after I did that and I grabbed it, it still had a good deal of flight in it and.was trying to wrap me up," Kimmel said.Īmong the dangers you have to heed when catching pythons are the teeth, which are long and curved. The trapper eventually managed to grab the snake just behind the head, but it still presented some problems for him. Family finds snake infestation after moving into first home.Rare and deadly 5-foot albino cobra found inside house: "Genetic mutation".Video shows python hiding inside car: "Look at the size".That way, when I go for the grab, it's a little easier to work with." "I'm kind of handling it in such a way where I'm letting the snake tire itself out. "These snakes especially one this large, they're very powerful-they're solid muscle," Kimmel told Newsweek. On occasion, the snake swung around in an effort to bite him. The trapper tried to get the snake under control as the serpent attempted to defend itself. "She don't give a crap about us."Įventually, Kimmel managed to grab the snake by the tail and a struggle lasting several minutes ensued. Kimmel got out of the car and went after the python, which was on the move. He was able to spot the snake on the side of the road among vegetation using high-powered lights fitted to his vehicle. Kimmel came across the snake-which he described as "an absolute monster" in the video-close to midnight while driving home after a night of hunting. The non-venomous constrictor snakes can grow to around 20 feet in length, with the Florida record measuring more than 18 feet. Estimates range from tens of thousands to 100,000-and significantly more. It is almost impossible to estimate the size of the Burmese python population in Florida because they are so hard to detect. Severe declines in some small mammal populations in Florida have been linked to the pythons. The pythons now pose a significant threat to native wildlife because the snakes prey upon many bird and mammal species, including some that are listed under the U.S. 13 feet in length and weighed more than 60 pounds. A screenshot from a YouTube video showing snake trapper Mike Kimmel grapple with a large Burmese python in the Florida Everglades.
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