Burmese Python

The Burmese python is one of the largest snake species in the world, native to grasslands, marshes and forests across South and Southeast Asia, with large individuals capable of exceeding five metres in length. It is a non-venomous constrictor, patterned with dark blotches on a tan or olive background that provide effective camouflage in leaf litter, and it kills prey, ranging from birds and rodents to deer-sized mammals, by coiling around the animal and squeezing until it suffocates. Burmese pythons are strong swimmers and spend considerable time near water, and they are capable of consuming prey much larger relative to their own body size than most other predators, aided by a highly flexible jaw. The species has become notorious as an invasive predator in Florida's Everglades, where pythons released or escaped from the exotic pet trade have established a large breeding population that has caused significant declines in native mammal populations.