A Florida-based python hunter has captured an 18-foot-4-inch reticulated python in Puerto Rico after the snake was reportedly spotted strangling a pet cat behind a house. Kevin Pavlidis, known online as Snakeaholic, joined members of Proyecto Retic to track down the enormous reptile in Naranjito, where it had escaped into vegetation after homeowners scared it away from the animal. The team located the snake after around 20 minutes of searching and successfully captured it. Measuring approximately 5.59 metres, the python was described by local media as the longest live-captured reticulated python recorded in Puerto Rico. The incident has renewed attention on the island's invasive snake population and concerns about the threat these non-native predators pose to pets and native wildlife.
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