Florida Man Catches 18-Foot Python by Hand, Different Man Promptly Catches Another

I was raised with snakes, and I’ve made it pretty clear in recent articles that we should destigmatize the little cuties. Especially the innocent, 15in sweetie left behind at a TSA checkpoint, and the bustling community of 45 rattlesnakes found under someone's home. So let us practice letting go of fear and coexisting today, with this most recent news about two nearly 18-feet-long Burmese pythons captured in Florida on the same day. So precious, not trying to coil around you and tighten their grip with every exhale, at all. <3

The news of a massive Burmese python capture in the Big Cypress National Preserve came -- and then came again -- on Monday. As the Naples Daily News reported, Kevin Reich of The Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission’s Python Action Team caught the second-largest Burmese python in the team’s history. The big guy came in at 17 feet, 9 inches and weighed in at 121 pounds. Soon after, the paper had to publish another article, because team member George Perkins, came upon another python of roughly the same length and 40 pounds heavier than the first.

This particular species of snake is nonvenomous but invasive, so the action team’s job is to remove them. If you’re wondering what the hell people do when they “come upon” a massive python, George Perkins told the publication how it’s done. Basically, after you’ve located the snake, you’ve got to secure the head.

"The snake grabs things with its head and the first few feet," said Perkins. "If you can control the head and first few feet, everything else falls in line." He said sometimes the surveyor has to wrestle the snake into exhaustion, which can take up to 20 minutes.

I would rather be swallowed whole by a Burmese python then apply for this job, but if it’s something you’re interested in, and you’re willing to “Assume personal liability for health, welfare and safety of [yourself] and anyone assisting,” definitely feel empowered to apply

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Ruby Anderson is a news writer for Thrillist.