Biologists from Florida have proven that aggressive Burmese pythons swallow deer and alligators whole.

The extent to which the Burmese python is capable of decimating native wildlife populations in South Florida continues to surprise biologists studying invasive species eradication.

Researchers in the region recently showed that Burmese pythons are capable of stretching their jaws wide enough to swallow large prey, such as adult deer and alligators, whole, according to a paper published in the journal Reptiles. and amphibians.

“Knowing the size of prey that predators can eat makes it easier to understand and predict their environmental impact,” the paper says.

A team of biologists came across a nearly 15-foot female Burmese python in December 2022 as she was devouring an adult white-tailed deer, Jan Bartoszek, a wildlife biologist and scientific coordinator at the Southwest Florida Wildlife Refuge in Naples, told ABC News. .

Bartoszek and his team are using radio telemetry—a technique that uses radio signals to track the movement and behavior of animals—to understand the pythons’ behavior. Trackers placed on males help researchers find reproductive females, Bartoszek said.

By the time they got to the scene, the python had swallowed about half of the deer and took about 30 more minutes to eat the other half, Bartoszek said. If the deer were still alive, scientists would have intervened. Instead, they got a front row seat to learning the intricacies of the food chain.

“For us biologists, this was the most intense event we have ever seen on a mission,” he said. “It was as primitive as it gets.”

According to the article, the female python weighed about 115 pounds and the deer weighed about 77 pounds, which is 93% of the maximum pharynx area, which is the size of the mouth opening.

According to the Florida Fish and Wildlife Commission, Burmese pythons can consume food equivalent to 100% of their body weight. While staghorn parts have been found in python necropsies before, this is the first time biologists have witnessed them in the wild, Bartoszek said.

“In this particular example, it feels like we caught a serial killer in the act,” Bartoszek said.

The large, non-venomous constrictor captures prey, ambushing it before coiling around it. The snake then contracts until the animal’s heart stops, Bartoszek said.

In the case they witnessed, the python bit the deer on the neck before wrapping itself around it, he added.

“When you see their anatomy in person, you realize they are amazingly designed,” Bartoszek said. “Mother Nature has done a very good job with this species.”

If this python had lived, it would likely have “used up” the deer’s food within a week, Bartoszek said. But because they are opportunistic hunters, the snake could very well catch its next prey sooner, he added.

According to the FWC, a variety of species have been found in the intestinal contents of Burmese pythons during necropsies, including mammals, birds, reptiles, and federally protected species such as the wood stork and the Key Largo woodrat.

According to the United States Geological Survey (USGS), Burmese pythons are one of the most dangerous invasive species in the region.

The species, which is native to Africa, Asia and Australia, has established a breeding population in South Florida through intentional and accidental releases, according to the U.S. Geological Survey.

According to the US Geological Survey, severe declines in mammal populations in Everglades National Park are due to this species. A 2012 study found that since 1997, the raccoon population has declined by 99.3%, the possum population has declined by 98.9%, and the bobcat population has declined by 87.5%. .

“Imagine thousands and thousands of pythons eating their way through the Everglades,” Bartoszek said.

Burmese pythons have been added to Florida’s 2021 Prohibited Non-Native Species List. The state also pays bounty hunters to catch Burmese pythons through the FWC Python Patrol program.

The species, with its efficient reproductive abilities and voracious appetite, is causing a cascading effect of ecosystem loss in the Everglades and surrounding areas, Bartoszek said.

“We didn’t want to alarm people,” Bartoszek. “We just want to demonstrate what our native wildlife faces in the Everglades ecosystem.”