Burmese python caught in northern Key Largo. Photo / Lori Oberhofer

As of Aug. 29, hunters of deer, hogs or alligators are now allowed to kill Burmese pythons on public land, according to the Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission.

Up to 100,000 of the non-native snakes are slithering throughout the Everglades and other wetlands, devouring indigenous animals and scaring humans who are hiking, kayaking or relaxing in their backyards.

The largest Burmese python captured in South Florida weighed 207 pounds and was 17 feet long. A 9-foot pet python outside Orlando killed a child on July 2.

Pythons have been released and/or escaped from shops and homes and have adapted well to the swampy region, breeding at will. So on July 15 Gov. Charlie Crist approved a plan that allows people to hunt the carnivores.

According to a Miami Herald article at the time, “Trappers, whom the FWC said would be confined to volunteer experts, will euthanize the snakes. They also will provide scientific data from weight to gut contents. Trappers would be able to sell the meat and skin, which has commercial value for shoes and other items.”

According to reports, 13 people have killed 14 pythons so far.

But now any hunter with a license for the large game can legally kill pythons on wildlife management areas if he or she uses a weapon approved for the current hunting season, such as muzzle-loading gun during that season. Hunters must report each kill to the FWC.

Other non-native reptiles that hunters can cull include green anacondas, Nile monitor lizards and four more species of python.