The 5.35m long and 30cm wide snake, which is now dead, contained
a record 87 eggs when it was examined by scientists at the
Florida Museum of Natural History. Burmese pythons are native to
south-east Asia and arrived in the US around 30 years ago as
part of the expanding exotic pet industry, They have been blamed
for a decline in mammals in the Everglades, with research
showing that they are now surviving for an increasingly long
time in the wild, posing a threat to native animals in the area
such as rabbits and foxes and even deer and alligators. Kenneth
Krysko, at the Florida Museum of Natural History, said: 'There's
nothing stopping them, and the native wildlife are in trouble.
'A 17-and-a-half-foot snake could eat anything it wants.' After
undergoing scientific investigation, the snake will be exhibited
at the museum on the University of Florida campus for five
years. 'By learning what this animal has been eating and its
reproductive status, it will hopefully give us insight into how
to potentially manage