17-foot Burmese python is the 2nd largest snake snared by FWC

A Burmese python recently captured in the Big Cypress National Preserve by the Florida Fish & Wildlife Conservation Commission is the second largest snake ever removed by the agency.

The state wildlife agency tweeted images showing Python Action Team Member Kevin Reich posing with the massive python, which measures a staggering 17 feet and 9 inches long.

The Burmese python, a nonvenomous constrictor, is an invasive species in Florida most often found in the Everglades, where it is considered a threat to native wildlife, according to FWC.

Because of that, FWC encourages people to capture and kill these pythons when they're found on private land. The agency also pays people like Reich to remove pythons from the wild.

Learn more by visiting the Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission website.