Fall 2021 Children's Sneak Previews

WATCH: Burmese Python Swallows 77-pound White-tailed Deer

Watching an invasive apex predator swallow a full-sized deer in front of them is something that a group of biologists in South Florida will never forget.

A new study conducted from the Conservancy of Southwest Florida revealed that Burmese pythons are capable of consuming larger prey than scientists realized.

But just how large of an animal are we talking? Try ingesting a 77-pound white-tailed deer.

That's what one of three female Burmese pythons did when the scientists were observing them for the study, which was published in the Journal of Reptiles & Amphibians this week.

The data collected proved these invasive snakes have a bigger gape than the prior largest diameter recorded, up from 8.7 inches in prior studies to 10.2 inches in the new one.

The measurements equate to a circumference of 32 inches.

The pythons' wide jaws and elastic skin allow them to consume prey six times larger than other snake species, the conservancy said.

"This means that more animals are on the menu," the conservancy said in a press release.

Biologists Ian Bartoszek and Ian Easterling, in collaboration with Dr. Bruce Jayne from the Department of Biological Science at the University of Cincinnati, measured the maximum gape for the study.

Leif Johnson, Conservancy of Southwest Florida. Conservancy biologists Jaimie Kittle, Ian Bartoszek and Ian Easterling with adult Burmese pythons captured in southwestern Florida while tracking a scout snake.

They worked with three Burmese python — the largest measuring at 19 feet long, with two other large snakes at 15 and 17 feet.

"These snakes resemble overachievers by sometimes testing the limits of what their anatomy allows rather than being slackers that eat only 'snack size' prey," Jayne said.

The deer that was taken down by the python in the study was discovered discovered to be 66.9% of the snake's mass.

Nearly 770 pythons have been removed by the conservancy's team over the last dozen years. Jayne said that if each of the snakes ate one deer as big as they can swallow, it would come out to close to 13,000 pounds of deer.

"Watching an invasive apex predator swallow a full-sized deer in front of you is something that you will never forget," Bartoszek said. "The impact the Burmese python is having on native wildlife cannot be denied. This is a wildlife issue of our time for the Greater Everglades ecosystem."

Ian Bartoszek, Conservancy of Southwest Florida. Female Burmese python measuring 14.8' (4.5m) and weighing 115.2 lbs (52.3 kg) consuming a white-tailed deer weighing 76.9 lbs (34.9 kg) in southwestern Florida.

More than 120 snakes have being radio-tagged and tracked so the conservancy can better understand the species.

It has removed more than 36,000 pounds of python from southwest Florida as of October 2024.

Discover The Largest Snake Found In Yellowstone National Park

Yellowstone National Park is one of the most famous parks in the United States, but it isn't usually known for its reptiles. Nevertheless, there are plenty of snakes that live in the park, with some of them being quite dangerous. Today, we will take a look at the largest snake found in Yellowstone National Park and learn a little about it. Additionally, we will learn about the largest venomous snake in the park. Let's get started!

The Largest Snake Found in Yellowstone National Park: Bullsnake (Pituophis catenifer sayi)

Bullsnakes are a

gopher snake

subspecies but look similar to rattlesnakes.

©GoodFocused/Shutterstock.Com

The largest snake in Yellowstone National Park is the bullsnake. They are unique in that they look similar to rattlesnakes and even mimic them in some instances. Bullsnakes are a gopher snake subspecies, a group of snakes that can be found across most of the United States. Let's learn a bit about them.

Once a bullsnake bites its prey, it slowly squeezes it until it dies of asphyxiation.

A Complete Breakdown of the Bullsnake

Bullsnakes are the largest snakes that can be found in Yellowstone. Most individuals measure between 50-72 inches long, or nearly 6 feet. In addition to their length, bullsnakes are relatively large-bodied, around 3-4 inches in diameter at their thickest.

When it comes to appearance, people often confuse them with rattlesnakes, even though they aren't venomous. They generally have black, brown, or reddish-brown blotches down their backs, usually in a square shape. The squares are usually darker near the head and tail, and the snake's base color is yellow, making a striking pattern. These snakes have small heads and round pupils, and they flatten them when threatened. Bull snakes have vertical bars that extend from their lower lip through their upper lip called labial bars. Of course, not all nonvenomous species have these, but in the U.S., this is a clear sign that the snake you see is nonvenomous. Additionally, they will shake their tails in a defensive behavior to mimic a rattlesnake, although, like other colubrids, they don't have a true rattle.

Bullsnakes are generally found in the lower elevations of the park. They mostly prefer warmer areas with a dry climate, especially near open ground. An example of their prime habitat would be the Mammoth region within the park. They live in small burrows, which is also where they hunt prey, hence the name "gopher snakes."

Bullsnakes eat small mammals and subdue them using constriction, not venom. Once they bite prey, they slowly squeeze it until it dies of asphyxiation. They eat a variety of prey, including mice, moles, rats, gophers, squirrels, eggs, birds, and other reptiles and snakes.

The Largest Venomous Snake in Yellowstone National Park: Prairie Rattlesnake (Crotalus viridis)

Prairie rattlesnakes, also called western rattlesnakes, are the only venomous snake in Yellowstone.

©iStock.Com/HRossD

Although the bullsnake is the largest reptile in Yellowstone, it isn't the most dangerous. The largest and most venomous snake within the park is the prairie rattlesnake. The prairie rattlesnake is a venomous pit viper related to other rattlesnakes, plus copperheads and cottonmouths. Using venom and heat-sensing pits on their snouts, pit vipers effectively hunt prey and defend themselves from predators.

A Complete Breakdown of the Prairie Rattlesnake

Prairie rattlesnakes are the second-largest snakes in Yellowstone and the largest (and only) venomous snakes in the park. They generally grow to 48 inches long and are extremely thick-bodied snakes.

Like all rattlesnakes, the prairie rattler can be identified through the heat-sensing pits between its nostril and eye, and the distinct rattle on its tail. Dorsally, prairie rattlesnakes have large, dark, roughly oval white-edged blotches over a lighter color; usually shades of tan or brown. Additionally, prairie rattlesnakes usually have light-colored head stripes — two on each side. Like other rattlesnakes, prairie rattlesnakes have heavily keeled scales that have a ridge in the center of each. Keeled scales make their skin look rough to the touch.

Prairie rattlesnakes live in the lower elevation areas of the park, namely in places like Reese Creek, Stephens Creek, and Rattlesnake Butte. They prefer warm, dry areas, and these locations are the warmest and driest locations in the park.

Prairie rattlesnakes use powerful venom to hunt prey and defend themselves. They generally prefer small mammals but will also eat birds and reptiles. Common prey includes squirrels, mice, rats, prairie dogs, rabbits, and other snakes.

Despite their powerful venom, rattlesnakes are much more defensive than offensive and prefer to avoid humans at all costs. In fact, the park has only two documented cases of bites throughout its entire history of the park. If you encounter a snake, just leave it be!

What Other Snakes Live in Yellowstone National Park?

Rubber boas, which can grow to 28 inches long, can be found in Yellowstone National Park.

©yhelfman/Shutterstock.Com

Besides the two listed, there are a few other reptiles you could encounter in the park.

Rubber boas are cute burrowing snakes that are closely related to boa constrictors. These snakes are becoming more popular as pets due to their unique appearance and great temperaments. They generally grow to 28 inches long at a maximum and spend most of their day buried under the soil.

There are two species of garter snake that live within the park; the common garter snake and the terrestrial garter snake. Both species are harmless to humans and grow to be 2-3 feet long. They are extremely common across the country and are the most common snakes found in the park. Common garter snakes have black bodies with three yellow stripes running down their bodies, one along the spine and two on the sides. Additionally, they have red spots between the spine stripe and side stripes on either side. The terrestrial garter snake is a brown or tan color and has the same style of stripes, only in white or cream.

What Are the Venomous Snakes in Yellowstone National Park?

Prairie rattlesnakes are the only dangerously venomous snakes in Yellowstone. Prairie snakes use powerful venom to hunt prey and defend themselves. They generally prefer small mammals but will also eat birds and reptiles. Common prey includes squirrels, mice, rats, prairie dogs, rabbits, and other snakes.

The post Discover the Largest Snake Found in Yellowstone National Park appeared first on A-Z Animals.

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