On August 26th, 2011 this 8-9ft-30lb Granite Burmese Python was found in a backyard chicken coop eating a full grown chicken. The homeowner called the guys at Bugspray.com to see what could be done. The description on the phone was a little unbelievable, so we went over ourselves thinking this could be interesting.
I'll never forget the comment the wife made when we arrived. "I am going to have to see a Doctor because of that snake." I of course asked "Why?" She replied, "Because it's so big!" I am guessing she meant for psychological distress, but maybe it was for a new heart condition. Maybe both.
When we arrived the python had already regurgitated the chicken and was hiding under a homemade pallet. Only about 2 feet of the tail was visible, and that was as big around as our forearms. We were a little surprised and intimidated. But non the less, we manned up for the challenge and uncovered the biggest snake we had ever encountered. After a little hilarity we finally got the python into a storage container that the homeowner had provided. In retrospect the King size pillow case we had brought was a little inadequate for this beast.
snip
After that we decided to load up and head out. I took my oldest Emily with me. You never know when your going to need your 10 year old daughter to wrangle a 9 foot python back into the storage container. We decided before a 30 minute drive it would be best to head to the store to get some more tape to hold the lid down.
When we got there one of our employees that hadn't seen the snake wanted to take a peak. Of course I was anticipating the head popping up, but this time it was on the opposite side and once again I was startled. After snapping the lid back on we headed to Conyers, GA about 30 minutes away. I of course forget to retape the container, so the lid was pretty much just snapped on with no extra security from the tape. Then my daughter who is sitting closest to the container hears the tape come loose and sees the lid bowing. Thank God we were only one mile from the Georgia International Horse Park. We made it with only about 60 seconds of shrill screaming from my daughter. Yes, I was moving along...quickly.
We were able to get into the Vendor parking(I think it was the python that got us in) and pull within about 100 yards of the Georgia Reptile Rescue Exhibit. That's good because carrying a 30lb snake in 90+ degree heat isn't that fun. Once we got there we found one of the volunteers, but Jason the person I came to see was in the middle of his live show and we were going to have to wait. Interestingly, while we were waiting a young women asks "What's in the container?"
I said, "A snake."
She says, "Can I see it?"
Me: "You don't want to see it."
After about 3-5 minutes of this she has seen the snake and continues to ask me if she can hold it. I'm thinking, "Ok crazy lady have at it. This will make great video." So I open it up this lady jabs her hand in between the lid and the container and pulls this 30lb snake out with one hand just behind the head.
Now I have done this similar thing with smaller snakes hundreds of times. You can even find videos of me handling a 6+ foot Rat Snake here on youtube. But for some reason I just had not mustered the courage to do this with the python. I just wasn't ready for the consequences of grabbing it wrong, or more importantly it grabbing me. I have to say, I was extremely impressed with this lady. She held it with an outstretched arm over her head. She said she was 6'1". There was sill a good 18 inches of snake in the container.
Not long after I had been shown up by some random lady visiting the event with her family, Jason shows up and takes a look at the snake and tells me exactly what type of python we had caught. I was pretty confident it was a python, I just didn't know what kind and even the internet wasn't pulling up photos under a general search of "python." Type in Granite Burmese Python and there is no question that's what we caught.
To make the situation even stranger the High School friend of Michael's that notified us on facebook about Georgia Reptile Rescue happened to be right there when I was with Jason filming him holding the snake. Small world.
At the very end of the video you get to see my daughter Emily holding a pretty good sized python. Not the one we caught, but one of Jason's that he uses for this purpose. She had to overcome a lot of fear to do it. Proud papa I must say.
Just a quick thanks to Hannah for steering us in the right direction and to Jason and everyone at Georgia Reptile Rescue for taking this huge snake off our hands. I only have two Guinea Pigs, and that wouldn't have feed this snake for long.
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Burmese Python at a Parkby jeffevens134,398 views
Thats a beautiful granite! It was obviously some jerk-offs pet that they let loose, cuz if it were wild, it would have fought you tooth and nail. It seemed puppy dog tame just like my two. Oh and just so you know, the snake your daughter is holding at the end, is a Red-tail Boa. Knowledge is power and I didnt want you to go along thinking it was a python. They are a much different species. Thanks for the vid and the good deed.
stever0123456789 2 months ago
@stever0123456789 Thanks for the comment. I think that the Granite was a little sickly. Not sure if it was stressed from throwing up the chicken, or being stuck under the pallet, but it wasn't well. As for the snake that my daughter was holding, I knew it was a Boa, but didn't know the exact kind. I know a lot more about domestic snakes than the exotics. Hopefully they don't become a problem here to the point that I would need to know.
bugmanchad 2 months ago