Florida's second-heaviest python taken down

How many guys does it take to wrangle Florida's second-heaviest Burmese python? Five, apparently. Mike Elfenbein was one of those guys who experienced a "surreal" and "lucky" take-down at Big Cypress National Preserve in South Florida over the weekend. Elfenbein, his son Cole and three other guys they had just met were in the area just lookin' for pythons. The species of python they caught are not native to Florida and are considered invasive due to their impacts to native wildlife, according to the Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission.

Amazon driver bitten by rattlesnake

An Amazon driver is in serious condition after being bitten by a rattlesnake while making a delivery to a Florida home, officials said Tuesday. The woman placed a box next to the home’s front door Monday evening when the eastern diamondback snake jumped out and bit her, the Martin County Sheriff’s Office said in a news release. She immediately became ill and called out for help.

Panicked Florida family calls 911 after finding a slithering surprise

A Florida family witnessed an unwelcome trespasser in their home and called 911. Police arrived to find a snake seeking shelter under a dresser. Officers trapped the creature in a pan and saltine box before educating the scared homeowners on venomous vs. nonvenomous snakes.

'Traumatized': Rattlesnake kills woman's dogs

A Florida family lost two of their dogs in a rattlesnake attack, feet from their porch, right next to a child's playhouse. The family raced to save their pets, but the venom was too strong. Now, they want more people to know the risks from rattlesnakes.

UCF student nabs 16-ft python in Everglades

A University of Central Florida freshman made “the catch of a lifetime,” trapping a 16-foot python this week. Jack Cronin was python hunting with friends and family Sunday night in the Florida Everglades. Cronin wrapped his hands around the snake just five hours after the end of the state’s python challenge.