Long-held myth says Hurricane Andrew sparked Florida's Burmese python problem. Is it true?

It is thought Burmese pythons (Python bivittatus) began their invasion of Florida in the late 1970s. (Image credit: Rhona Wise/Getty Images)

On Aug. 4, hunters in southern Florida will begin a cull of Burmese pythons as part of an annual competition to try and keep the invasive snakes' population in check.

Burmese pythons (Python bivittatus) are native to southeast Asia, where they slink through thick jungles, grasslands and swamps. But these snakes — which can grow to be more than 18 feet (5.5 meters) long — have also established an invasive population in southern Florida that has decimated local ecosystems, with the snakes devouring prey as large as deer and alligators.