New York Authorities Find 14-Foot Reticulated Python Dead on the Side of a Long Island Road
A 14-foot Reticulated python was found dead on the side of a Long Island, New York, road last month.
Environmental conservation police officers were called to the town of Medford after they received a report of a large snake seen in the area, according to a news release shared on Wednesday from the state's Department of Environmental Conservation.
The officers found the non-venomous reptile curled up in a ball, and then discovered it was dead upon closer inspection.
A photograph taken by the organization shows that the reticulated python measured nearly the length of a pickup truck after its body was unraveled.
The carcass, the Department of Environmental Conservation said, was disposed of by the authorities. An investigation is underway to determine who the owner of the reptile was.
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Department of Environmental Conservation/Facebook
Reticulated pythons are illegal to own as pets in New York, and they may only be possessed by holders of a Dangerous Animal License, which allows ownership for scientific, educational, exhibition, zoological or propagation purposes.
The reticulated python — which originated in southeast Asia — is one of the largest snake species in the world. It can grow to nearly 30 feet in length and weigh as much as 380 pounds, per Zoo Atlanta.
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While it is rare to find a reticulated python in the New York area outside of a zoo, the introduced species is a major problem in South Florida.
The reptiles have become an invasive apex predator in the Everglades, and the government has a dedicated program to remove the species. Since 2017, nearly 7000 pythons have been disposed of by the program, which pays "python removal agents" upwards of $150 for each snake larger than eight feet in length.
