Photo

Huge Burmese python

(Reuters)
Updated: 2006-04-14 11:18

A Burmese python captured ten years ago sits still in a cage at the Palm Beach Zoo in Florida April 11, 2006. The first Burmese pythons sighted in the park's savanna and steamy swamps, back in the mid-1970s, are thought to have been pets. The snakes, which are native to Southeast Asia, can be purchased legally in the United States. But many owners, especially so-called impulse buyers, tend to release them in places like the Everglades once they realize they can grow from just a foot (30 cm) to about 12 feet (3.6 metres) long in their first two years of life. Dumping reptiles is illegal and Florida lawmakers are currently mulling stiffer penalties, including possible jail time. Picture taken April 11, 2006. [Reuters]