"Florida's Python Problem: Massive 500-Pound Mating Ball Uncovered"

Wildlife conservators in southwest Florida found 11 Burmese pythons, totaling 500 pounds, in three separate "mating balls," marking a record daily capture for the area. The invasive species, originally from Southeast Asia, has become an established apex predator in the Greater Everglades ecosystem, leading to a 90% decline in native mammal populations. The Conservancy of Southwest Florida has been actively researching and removing these pythons, with over 1,300 snakes weighing more than 35,000 pounds removed to date.