The post Driver Confronts Massive Python Constricting a Deer on the Side of a Florida Road appeared first on A-Z Animals.
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Quick Take
A large python in the video appears to be constricting a deer beside a Florida roadway before a driver intervenes.
Burmese pythons are the invasive giant snakes most commonly associated with Florida, while reticulated pythons there are usually escaped or released pets rather than an established wild population.
Reticulated pythons are the world’s longest snake species and can swallow very large prey thanks to flexible skull bones and stretchy ligaments.
Typically, when people think of dangerous animal encounters, they imagine them happening in remote wild places. In reality, they can happen almost anywhere, including along roadsides and near neighborhoods where wildlife and people overlap.
Knowing how to respond when encountering a wild animal is important for safety. Most wild animals avoid humans whenever possible, but getting too close or interfering can create a dangerous situation for both the person and the animal.
Reticulated Python Sighting
The short YouTube clip above appears to show a large python constricting a deer on the side of a road in Florida. The video was shared by the Peeper Loves Animals YouTube channel, which reposts animal footage from a variety of sources.
One commenter says the video was filmed in Florida. In the Sunshine State, Burmese pythons are the large invasive snakes most commonly associated with the state, especially in South Florida. Reticulated pythons have also been reported in southeast Florida, but wildlife officials say those are generally escaped or released pets rather than an established wild population.
Python Constricting Its Prey
As the video begins, the snake appears to have already captured the deer and is in the process of constricting it. Reticulated pythons are nonvenomous constrictors that kill prey by coiling around it and tightening their grip until the animal can no longer breathe or its circulation fails.
A driver then gets out of a vehicle, grabs a long branch, and strikes at the snake from a distance. The disturbance causes the snake to uncoil and retreat, thereby releasing the deer. Although the man may have been trying to help, approaching a large constrictor this closely was risky. Large pythons are powerful animals, and interfering with one during a feeding event can be dangerous.
What Do Reticulated Pythons Eat?
The reticulated python can live up to 25 years in the wild.
©tanoochai/Shutterstock.com
(tanoochai/Shutterstock.com)
Reticulated pythons (Malayopython reticulatus) are carnivores that eat a wide range of prey, including birds and mammals. Depending on their size, they may consume rats and other small mammals, but they can also consume much larger prey such as deer, wild boar, and primates.
Reticulated pythons are widely recognized as the longest snake species in the world. Many individuals grow well over 10 feet long, and some exceptional snakes exceed 20 feet. Like other large snakes, they have flexible skull bones and stretchy ligaments that allow them to swallow prey much larger than their heads.
Watch the Video
Click here to watch the video.
The post Driver Confronts Massive Python Constricting a Deer on the Side of a Florida Road appeared first on A-Z Animals.