(Photo by Joe Raedle/Getty Images)
We've been hearing more and more of these stories lately and a 10 foot python was caught behind a home in Collier County.
I've said it and I'll say it again. I hate snakes. I understand they have a purpose in our eco-system, but I want nothing to do with them. I've been lucky to have only seen a few out in the wild since I moved to Fort Myers, and I'd prefer to keep it that way. However, a neighbor the other day stopped me to warn me of some big snakes in the bush outside my lanai. We all know that pythons are everywhere in the Everglades, but lately we've been hearing more and more stories about people seeing them further north. A few instances in Cape Coral actually. So they're on the move.
10 Foot Python Caught Behind Collier County Home
A 10 foot, 160 pound Burmese python was caught behind a home in Lely Resort. According to NBC2, it was spotted in a retention pond just 20 feet from the homeowners backyard. WAY too close for comfort. And the homeowner agreed. Sleth Reptiles, an animal removal company, was called to the scene and owner Seth Brittain and tech Jesse Richards were able to capture the snake. It sounds like it put up quite a fight, but they were able to safely remove the predator from the property.
Things That Can Kill You: The Six Venomous Snakes Of Florida
With the warm climate we enjoy, there's more than just New Yorker's heading to Florida. There are 44 known species of snakes here in Florida, but only 6 are venomous. Of course, it only takes one bite to totally ruin your day, so it's best to know who they are. I've seen so many posts on Facebook of people asking what kind of snake is this, and will I die if it bites me. Most won't. In fact, it's best to leave most snakes alone because they're eating pests that you don't want around. Rats, mice, those frogs that make your dog sick. Things like that. This list doesn't include the invasive python which is attempting to take over the Everglades. It's not a venomous snake. Although it does make for interesting stories when Florida man takes one on.
It's actually a very short list of snakes that you really need to watch out for. There's the pit vipers and the eastern coral snake. The truly tricky part is all of the other snakes that try to look like they're a venomous snake. Those snakes are the equivalent of someone who is all talk but runs and hides once the fight starts.
Anyway, thanks to the good folks at World Atlas, let's take a look at some things that could kill you. It's the Venomous Snakes Of Florida
Southern Copperhead
A pit viper that prefers to live in wooded and mixed pasture lowlands.
Eastern Coral Snake
They like the tropical parts of Florida. They would rather hide than attack a human and generally don't bite. Still best to not mess with tho'.
Dusky Pygmy Rattlesnake
These dudes live in habitats ranging from flatwoods to prairies, swamps, and marshes to along water bodies like ponds and lakes. Don't mess with them, they will react.
Timber Rattlesnake
They hang out around forests and rugged terrain. One of the most feared snakes in Florida. If you get bit and do not get immediate treatment you'll probably die.
Eastern Diamondback Rattlesnake
This snake is as nasty as it's name implies. It lives in a wide variety of habitats including marshes and swamps, dry pine forests, sandhills, wet prairies, and wherever it finds food. It can grow up to 8 feet long, is faster than you, and can outswim you. It's bite has a mortality rate up to 30%.
Florida Cottonmouth
This thing hangs out in swampy regions, wooded regions along watercourses, and along the edges of cypress ponds. It's even made it's way to some islands. You probably won't die if it bites you, but amputations? Yeah, amputations.
