Many people are afraid of snakes, even if they have never come into direct contact with one. It seems to be some sort of unconscious fear we are instinctively born with like a fear of drowning or fire.
Well we just found a YouTube video of a guy who was cutting down a tree and accidentally sawed a snake in half. The reptile had been inside the trunk of the tree, nesting, when the man sawed through it. What happened next will freak you out when you watch the video, but be warned, not only is it a graphic scene, the man cusses a lot!
That video demonstrates a good reason people tend to be so freaked out by snakes. Although it is not clear what kind of snake this particular specimen is, we thought we would take a look at a species that is all but terrorizing South Florida, and it seems, as far north as Maine: the Burmese Python.
Pythons swallow their prey whole, and take several days or even weeks to fully digest it. After eating, a python can go several weeks, if not months, without needing to feed again.
Police in Westbrook Maine, a suburb of Portland, have confirmed that their is a ten foot python on the loose, after discovering a molted snakeskin near the banks of the Presumptscot river.
Earlier this month, some residents had reported that they had seen such a creature near where the skin was found, however at the time, there was little to support the claim. On Saturday, the evidence became irrefutable when a local man found the shed skin and reported it to the Westbrook Police Department. The police responded, taking pictures of the scene and collecting the skin for lab analysis. While the species has yet to be confirmed by genetic testing, it appears to be a python.
While it may be enough to send chills up the spine of anyone in Maine, Florida has been dealing with this invasive species for years, and it is a huge problem.
Native to southeast Asia, the Burmese Python is a favorite among exotic pet owners here in the United States. The problem? They are also one of the five largest species of snake in the world and can become massive. They are non venomous, but their powerful bodies can be as much as ninety eight percent lean muscle, which provides a huge amount of crushing power.
The snakes can become difficult for pet owners to manage and so they frequently get released into the wild. In Maine it may not be so much of a problem because of their harsh winters, but the Sunshine State has a climate almost identical to their native habitats. The python problem has become such a dangerous issue in the everglades that even other top predators are at risk because of them.
An adult Burmese python can easily attain twelve feet in length and whey almost a hundred pounds, which is more than enough to bring down deer and other herbivores, but because they can live in semi aquatic environments, AND love to sun in trees, they can even predate on Alligators, Florida crocodiles, buzzards, and big cats like bobcats and Florida panthers. As real estate development continues to encroach, unchecked, into the the Everglades, these massive reptiles also find nourishment in domesticated animals like cattle, and dogs and cats.
How do you feel about snakes? Has it changed since watching this creepy video? Share your thoughts with us here.
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