A state-sanctioned hunt on public lands for invasive Burmese pythons has come to an end. Organizers of the python challenge say 102 pythons had been caught since the competition began January 16. Researchers believe tens of thousands of pythons may be slithering through the Everglades, decimating native mammal populations. They’ve been known to grow up to 18 feet in length in Florida. Some experts believe pet owners released their Burmese into the wild when the snakes grew too big. The first public python hunt in 2013 netted 68 snakes.
