Giant python swallows deer whole in Florida: biologists already call it "the most impressive sight in 12 years." Photo

A huge Burmese python eating a deer whole was found in the Everglades wetlands in Florida (USA). Eyewitnesses managed to capture this gruesome process on camera, and scientists called it "the most impressive sight in 12 years."

Burmese pythons are known to eat deer and even alligators. However, it is difficult to detect predators in action, LiveScience writes.

"This was the most intense and impressive sight we have observed in 12 years of tracking pythons in southwestern Florida. It felt like we were literally catching the serial killer in the act and it was intense to observe [in] real time. It was truly primal," said Ian Bartoszek, wildlife biologist and science coordinator for the Conservancy of Southwest Florida.

The female Burmese python caught red-handed was 4.5 meters long and weighed 52 kilograms. It had hunted a white-tailed deer that weighed 35 kilograms, which is almost 67% of the snake's weight. According to zoologists, the snake's mouth stretched so wide while swallowing its prey that it reached 93% of its maximum opening.

According to previous studies, the estimated maximum jaw opening gap for the Burmese python was 22 centimeters. However, zoologists recently studied three of these snakes - including a python that ate a deer - and found that their maximum gap was 26 cm. The discovery has had "significantly affected" the understanding of the physical capabilities of these predators.

The zoologists emphasize that Burmese pythons can swallow huge prey because their jaws are not fused at the front, allowing them to stretch much wider than snakes of similar size.

"Our anatomical measurements indicate this deer was very near the size limit on the prey that could be consumed by this snake," said study author Bruce Jayne, a professor of biological sciences at the University of Cincinnati.

While the current number of pythons in the Everglades is unknown, experts believe there could be hundreds of thousands in Florida. Over the past few decades, Burmese pythons have destroyed local ecosystems by eating several species of mammals. Experts say there are no natural predators to control their population.

Burmese pythons are prolific breeders, with each female capable of laying dozens of eggs per season. Therefore, scientists in the Everglades are forced to physically kill several females each year before they lay their eggs. "All of the pythons we remove are humanely euthanized. We have a lot of respect for the Burmese python and they are here through no fault of their own. However we understand the impact they are having on native wildlife and are not sitting on the sidelines," said Ian.

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