A Burmese python population has emerged in Southwest Florida, raising fresh concerns about the invasive predator's spread.

Burmese pythons are recognizable by more than their size. Hunters should be on the lookout for a telltale, arrow-shaped marking on the snake’s head, along with giraffe-like spots across its body and dark spots around its eyes. During the summer months, they’re most likely to be found sunning on levee banks or near trees.

Hunters participating in the Florida Python Challenge in July will have an abundance of python meet. But it is advised that it not be eaten.

"We're not putting these animals out there and in harm's way. Harm's way is there. We're just documenting what is happening."

A Burmese python was found slithering underneath a Florida sidewalk while carrying 20 eggs. The reptiles, native to Southeast Asia, are considered an invasive species, and state law requires them to be euthanized after capture.

A giant snake once kept as an exotic pet can become a serious ecological problem when it enters the wrong environment. In the wetlands of southern Florida, Burmese pythons have established themselves far from their native range in Southeast Asia,

Researchers observed vultures eating invasive Burmese python eggs for the first time in Florida. The only other documented predator of python eggs in Florida is the bobcat. Scientists believe the vultures likely used their sense of smell to locate the ...

It's important for new or wanna-be python hunters to understand the basics when it comes to eliminating the invasive creatures.