His mother, Elidia, was worried but wanted proof about the fate of Frances. "I still would like to know for sure that it's him in the snake's stomach," she said.
Captain Al Cruz, of the Miami-Dade Fire Rescue antivenin unit, told AFP that the reptile would be taken to a state park, where it will be x-rayed to determine if the Siamese cat had met an unfortunate end.
Another python made headlines last week. That snake, which was four meters (12.5 feet) in length, burst after trying to ingest an alligator in the Everglades National Park.
The presence of the large snakes, which can reach seven meters (24 feet) in length, has alarmed biologists in the Everglades because they pose a threat to native alligators, which are the principal predators in the regional ecosystem.
Many Florida residents adopt pythons as pets but abandon them later when they grow too big. Seven or eight pythons are found annually in the county, Cruz said.
Name: Burmese Python, aka Asiatic Rock Python (
Python molurus)
Primary Classification: Pythonidae (Pythons)
Location: From northeast India through southern China to the Malay Peninsula and East Indies
Habitat: Grasslands, swamps, marshes, rocky foothills, woodlands, jungles and river valleys; requires a permanent water source
Diet: Small mammals, birds, reptiles and fish; large pythons may eat pigs, goats and small deer
Size: Can reach 25 feet in length and weigh over 200 pounds
Description: Pale tan, yellow-brown or gray with reddish-brown blotches; yellow or white belly; orange eyes with vertical pupils; head is much wider than the neck
Cool Facts: It requires no more than its own weight in food each year. Its loosely hinged jaws allow it to swallow prey much larger than its own head.
Conservation Status: Lower Risk (Near Threatened)
Major Threat(s): Capture for the pet and exotic leather trades
What Can I Do?: Visit
TRAFFIC for information on how you can help.
