Florida
Scientists Share 'Intense' Footage of Invasive Python Swallowing 77-Pound Deer Whole in Florida
Scientists in Florida shared a remarkable moment this week: a Burmese python swallowing a 77-pound white-tailed deer whole.
The video, recorded by wildlife biologist Ian Bartoszek of the Conservancy of Southwest Florida while scientists were tracking pythons in the Florida Everglades, shows the 14.8-foot, 115-pound female python mid-meal with the deer in its unhinged jaw.
“It felt like we were literally catching the serial killer in the act, and it was intense to observe [in] real time,” Bartoszek told Life Science.
Per CBS News, Bartoszek said the species is known for eating most things “furry and feathery” and that it is “easier to say what they don’t eat” when describing their diet.
As one of three authors of a study published in the Reptiles & Amphibians journal in August, Bartoszek helped explore what a Burmese python is believed to be capable of consuming. The study involved scientists examining three snakes and finding that the species can have a maximum gape (or the width it can open its jaws) of 10.2 inches—a more significant number than the previously understood 8.6 inches.
“This was the most intense and impressive sight we have observed in 12 years of tracking pythons in southwestern Florida,” Bartoszek told Life Science. “It was truly primal and felt like a scene that had been playing out for millions of years wherever you have large snakes.”
“Unfortunately, our native wildlife in Florida have not evolved with this apex predator, and you are seeing that result with these images,” he added.
Catching Burmese pythons — an invasive species in Floridas known to eat alligators and deer — in the act of eating is often difficult. Still, Bartoszek, alongside Ian Easterling of the Conservancy of Southwest Florida and Bruce Jayne of the University of Cincinnati, Ohio, managed to capture the act on camera and measured “the greatest maximum gape recorded in Burmese pythons to date,” according to the conservancy’s website.
The study notes that the deer consumed by the python in the clip was 66.9% of the snake’s mass.
Never miss a story — sign up for PEOPLE’s free daily newsletter to stay up-to-date on the best of what PEOPLE has to offer, from celebrity news to compelling human interest stories.
Per the conservancy, knowing the limitations of what the snakes can consume can also help “predict the ecological impact the invasive snakes might have as they move into new areas.”
“Besides the large absolute size of the deer that was eaten being impressive, our anatomical measurements indicate this deer was very near the size limit on the prey that could be consumed by this snake,” Jayne said. “Hence, these snakes resemble overachievers by sometimes testing the limits of what their anatomy allows rather than being slackers that eat only ‘snack size’ prey.”
Ian Bartoszek, Conservancy of Southwest Florida
The conservancy’s Burmese Python Research and Removal team has reportedly removed 77,000 invasive adult pythons over the last 12 years.
“We have been removing pythons and advancing invasive snake science for over a decade. These animals continue to impress us each season, and one thing we’ve learned for certain is not to underestimate the Burmese python,” Bartoszek said.
Per Life Science, a male python named Ronin helped scientists locate the buck-eating snake thanks to a tracking device that ultimately led them to females. The snakes were then removed to control the population. As Bartoszek shared, the pythons were “humanely euthanized” before they had the opportunity to lay eggs.
“We have a lot of respect for the Burmese python and they are here through no fault of their own,” he said. “However, we understand the impact they are having on native wildlife and are not sitting on the sidelines.”
Florida
‘The naughty list:’ Wrong tag leads to arrest of wanted Central Florida man
VOLUSIA COUNTY, Fla. – A wanted Central Florida man was caught after deputies noticed that his car had a wrong tag, according to the Volusia Sheriff’s Office.
In a release on Wednesday, deputies said they initially spotted a car with a tag that didn’t belong on it.
“A little research showed (the driver) had an open warrant for occupied burglary,” the release reads. “He tried to accelerate and ram his way out of trouble, but that only led to more charges.”
Body-camera footage shows deputies confront and ultimately catch the driver, identified as 33-year-old Dillon Cottrell.
According to the sheriff’s office, deputies also recovered a trafficking amount of fentanyl and other drugs.
Now, Cottrell faces charges of burglary, criminal mischief, fleeing law enforcement, trafficking in fentanyl, possession of a controlled substance without a prescription, aggravated battery on a law enforcement officer, resisting arrest, and obstructing law enforcement.
He is held without bond. His passenger, Kelli Jo Hands, was also arrested, deputies added.
“Both are still in jail and most likely spending Christmas there,” the release concludes.
Copyright 2025 by WKMG ClickOrlando – All rights reserved.
Florida
Grand Rapids police chief is candidate for Florida job: Eric Winstrom faced early trial
GRAND RAPIDS, MI – Just weeks into his new job, Grand Rapids Police Chief Eric Winstrom – sharing a small apartment with his wife and two children – was told that an officer was just involved in a shooting.
A former commander for Chicago Police Department, Winstrom had dealt with many shootings involving police.
Officer Christopher Schurr shot and killed Black motorist Patrick Lyoya after a Feb. 4, 2022, traffic stop. Schurr, a white officer, shot Lyoya in the back of the head.
Winstrom, who was named this week one of three finalists for police chief in Pensacola, Florida, recalled the tragedy in Grand Rapids in an MLive video 13 months after the killing.
He became chief in Grand Rapids on March 7, 2022.
He described the shooting as “just like a slap across the face and a wake-up call because I had been involved in so many of these difficult situations in Chicago. So I was like, ‘Oh, OK, I guess we’re doing this here so quick’ and it was I would say a progression of sadness.”
He met with Lyoya’s family in his office, “crying literally with them.” He knew that Schurr, who was ultimately acquitted by a Kent County jury of second-degree murder, and his family were devastated, too.
Winstrom fired Schurr after charges were filed.
He knew that his officers had strong feelings, with many supporting Schurr, who said he acted in self-defense when Lyoya gained control of his Taser.
Winstrom, who often responds to serious crime scenes, said: “I’ll say that this department – I’m sure everybody’s got their opinions – but from what I’ve seen they’ve handled it professionally … have not let it impact job performance at all which was something that I was really afraid of.”
That has happened in other U.S. cities after controversial police shootings. Lyoya’s supporters held many protests, particularly when the officer was on trial.
Windstrom said that calls to defund police can lead to a ‘mass exodus’ of officers, which data shows results in increasing violence in minority neighborhoods.
He said that “officers in Grand Rapids, whether they agree with my decision to fire Christopher or not, come to work every day. They just do a phenomenal, professional job. I’m really proud of them.”
Winstrom is a finalist for the Pensacola job with Brian Dugan, a former Tampa police chief, and Erik Goss, the acting deputy chief in Pensacola, the Pensacola News Journal reported.
The selection process will occur Jan. 12 to 14.
Winstrom declined an MLive request for comment on Wednesday, Dec. 24, but issued a statement the previous day.
He asked for patience while he considered what is best for him and his family. He said he will be “engaged here as ever” during the process and “I remain fully committed to ensuring the City of Grand Rapids is a community where people feel safe and are safe at all times.“
City Manager Mark Washington appointed Winstrom nearly four years ago knowing “that he was a highly qualified, top-tier professional in the field of public safety. While he hadn’t served as a Chief of Police, his potential was evident.”
Washington added: “Given the significant progress he has led within the Grand Rapids Police Department – specifically in advancing constitutional policing, enhancing transparency, and centering the department’s commitment to serve all residents – it is certainly not surprising that other communities would seek out his leadership and expertise.”
Florida
Florida man charged in racially motivated attack plot
-
Maine1 week agoElementary-aged student killed in school bus crash in southern Maine
-
New Mexico1 week agoFamily clarifies why they believe missing New Mexico man is dead
-
Massachusetts1 week agoMIT professor Nuno F.G. Loureiro, a 47-year-old physicist and fusion scientist, shot and killed in his home in Brookline, Mass. | Fortune
-
Detroit, MI1 week ago‘Love being a pedo’: Metro Detroit doctor, attorney, therapist accused in web of child porn chats
-
Health1 week ago‘Aggressive’ new flu variant sweeps globe as doctors warn of severe symptoms
-
World5 days agoPutin says Russia won’t launch new attacks on other countries ‘if you treat us with respect’
-
Culture1 week agoTry This Quiz and See How Much You Know About Jane Austen
-
Maine1 week agoFamily in Maine host food pantry for deer | Hand Off

