Authorities in upstate New York recently confiscated a 13-foot Burmese python from a man in New Hartford who was keeping the still-growing snake in a small tank. The incident came to light following a complaint received by the state Department of Environmental Conservation on August 28.
Upon responding to the complaint, Environment Conservation Police Officer Jeff Hull discovered the snake housed in a tank that measured between 4 to 5 feet. Weighing 80 pounds and measuring 13 feet 2 inches in length, the python was deemed to be in good health and still growing, according to a news release from the Department of Environmental Conservation.
Following the confiscation, the snake was relocated to the Fort Rickey Discovery Zoo in Rome, which possesses the necessary permits for housing such animals. The owner of the snake admitted to not being prepared for the rapid growth of the python and was subsequently ticketed for possessing wildlife as a pet and for keeping dangerous wildlife without a permit.
Burmese pythons, native to southeast Asia, have gained popularity as pets in the United States. However, they pose a threat as an invasive species in certain regions, such as Florida, where they prey on native wildlife. Known to reach lengths of up to 16 feet, the albino Burmese python seized in New York was yellow with an arrowhead-like design on its head.
