Conservancy biologists caught the biggest Burmese python ever found in Florida’s Everglades: an almost 18-foot-long, 215-pound female loaded with 122 eggs. The record-breaking invasive snake was deep in the scrub of Picayune Strand State Forest in Florida's Collier County, where a radio-equipped male “scout” snake named Dion led researchers to her. Though scientists prefer not to make guesses, wildlife biologist Ian Bartoszek says there’s a good chance the massive matriarch might well be one of the original pet snakes released into the wild decades ago. In recent years, pythons have gone off like a bomb in the Everglades, devastating populations of native mammals including rabbits, opossum and white-tailed deer – creatures that should feed the endangered Florida panthers instead of introduced Asian reptiles. The python was euthanized shortly after capture, though Conservancy spokeswoman Katy Hennig, would not say how – only that the technique was humane and veterinarian-approved. Her carcass will be used for science, with tissue samples going to various institutions – “Sky’s the limit on what we can do with the genetics,” Bartoszek said – and her skeleton likely used as a teaching tool. 📸: Andrew West, @thenewspress