Burmese python caught locally in the wild. Photo / Lori Oberhofer

Two Palm Beach County men were airboating in an Everglades canal on Monday when one saw a snake he recognized.

The Miami Herald’s outdoor writer Susan Cocking describes their encounter. “Having completed a ‘Pythons 101’ crash course given by the Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission less than an hour earlier, Vasquez recognized it as a Burmese python. He pointed it out to Mennine, who jumped out and grabbed it.

“‘It tried to bite me, but it bit itself,’ Mennine said. ‘I grabbed it by its head and threw it in a bag.’”

Later the men handed the snake to their FWC instructors.

“‘I can’t wait to do it again,’ a breathless Vasquez said. ‘I’m a newbie — my very first time. The training definitely helped me know what to look out for.’”

The FWC recently announced a special hunting season for reptiles of concern on state lands. Pythons are one of the many non-native species disrupting the Everglades.

To read Cocking’s colorful and informative article, click here. Log-in is required.