Florida scientists confirm Burmese pythons can swallow full-grown deer, alligators whole

Fresh footage from the South Florida Everglades is making scientists rethink just how formidable invasive Burmese pythons can be. Biologists say the species' jaw structure allows for an extreme mouth opening, enabling the largest snakes to consume prey as large as adult deer and even alligators.

What happened?

In a clip from ABC News shared by AZ Animals, a 115-pound Burmese python is seen swallowing a 77-pound white-tailed deer, a meal equal to about seven-tenths of the snake's weight. 

The reason behind this stunning feat of nature lies in the snake's anatomy.

In a 2022 study, cited by AZ Animals, University of Cincinnati researcher Bruce Jayne and his team found that a python's maximum gape, or the size of its mouth, doesn't increase at the same rate as its body; in fact, it grows much faster. 

The outlet noted that when a python eats large prey, its jaws do not dislocate, despite the common myth. Elastic tissue connects the two halves of the lower jaw, and a movable quadrate bone lets the entire jaw structure flare outward. Combined with stretchy skin, that setup allows the python to work its jaws over prey piece by piece until it is fully swallowed.

Why does it matter?

While the video itself is a startling sight, it hints at a larger problem growing in the Florida Everglades.

AZ Animals noted that Burmese pythons are not native to the Everglades. Their population became established largely through escaped or intentionally released exotic pets, making the invasion at least partly the result of human actions.

Many Florida species did not evolve alongside predators like these, leaving them poorly prepared to avoid them. Biologists have found prey inside captured pythons ranging from deer and adult alligators to wading birds and endangered Key Largo woodrats.

That level of predation can reshape the food web in one of the country's most important wetland systems. The Everglades supports tourism, recreation, fisheries, and natural storm protection for nearby communities, so disruptions there can have effects far beyond the animals being eaten.

According to AZ Animals, state officials have been trying to slow the damage. The Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission runs the annual Florida Python Challenge and contracted hunters remove thousands of additional snakes throughout the year.

Still, scientists no longer consider complete eradication realistic. The focus has shifted to suppression and to preventing the snakes from spreading farther north or into coastal regions.

For many biologists, the South Florida video reinforces what Jayne's research suggests: the biggest pythons may be able to eat much larger prey than some would expect. 

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