OXFORD – A toddler was strangled by a Burmese python in Oxford, Florida today. Oxford is in Sumter County, south of Ocala and west of Orlando. The snake apparently escaped from a fish tank and killed the girl; it has not been found.
The issue of invasive species is a growing problem in Florida. In June in Cape Coral, police heading to a house to investigate a beating found a house with a collection of exotic reptiles, including baby rattler and alligator hatchlings.
Last fall, law enforcement officers with the Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission removed a Burmese python from Indiantown Road near Sierra Square Plaza in Jupiter Farms.
Burmese pythons are classified as “reptiles of concern” by the FWC. People possessing any of these species must have an FWC permit and pay an annual fee of $100. Owners of pet reptiles of concern must also meet strict caging and facility requirements.
Florida’s warm climate and rare freezes make tropical pets a nuisance; the Everglades have been overrun by Burmese pythons which were unleashed in hurricanes and now breed on their own.
