Carl Jackson says a Burmese python bite feels brutal, and the Florida hunter has firsthand experience. He recently drew attention for removing a 202-pound Burmese python, a catch that ranks among the heaviest ever documented in the state, the Naples Daily News reported.
What happened?
In January, Jackson located the female snake in Big Cypress National Preserve while working as a contracted python hunter for the Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission. It measured 16 feet, 10 inches, and weighed 202 pounds.
The python ranks among Florida's heaviest documented catches, behind the 215-pound state record set in 2022, the Daily News said.
Jackson started in June 2025. Not long after, he also removed a 17-foot, 10-inch python, which was one of the longest taken from the state last year. Jackson also referenced an earlier catch in which a nearly 18-foot python bit him, leaving blood visible on his hand in a photo.
"If you look at the photo of me and the snake on the road, you'll see blood on my hand that's not the snake's blood. That's from her bite," Jackson said, per the Daily News.
The species is nonvenomous, but that does not make a bite insignificant.
TCD Picks » EDF Spotlight
💡EDF's Vital Signs newsletter delivers stories about game-changing solutions close to home and around the world
"It feels like a lot of little needles going into your hand and then tearing through the skin," Jackson said.
Why does it matter?
Burmese pythons are an invasive species that have heavily damaged wildlife populations in the Everglades, contributing to declines in animals such as raccoons, opossums, bobcats, foxes, marsh rabbits, and cottontails.
Conservative U.S. Geological Survey estimates put the Everglades-region population in the tens of thousands, even though the snakes are notoriously difficult to spot.
Each large python removed takes one more major predator out of an already stressed ecosystem.
TCD Picks » Quince Spotlight
💡These best-sellers from Quince deliver affordable, sustainable luxury for all
A recent study also found that Burmese pythons can swallow prey much larger than scientists previously believed, including a 77-pound white-tailed deer, equal to nearly 70% of the snake's mass.
Burmese pythons are not native to Florida, and their spread has been linked to the exotic pet trade as well as releases and escapes, leaving wildlife officials and contractors to manage the consequences.
What are people saying?
Jackson offered direct advice for anyone handling one of the snakes.
"The worst part about a python bite is, when you get bit, you don't want to yank your hand because their teeth can break very easily," he said.
He said broken teeth can lead to another issue.
"And if they get stuck in your skin, it's hard to get them out. Sometimes you just have to wait until they fester, and then kind of pop them out," Jackson said.
As for treatment, he explained: "The first thing I do is clean the wound off with alcohol wipes and then put hydrogen peroxide on it."
The Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission also described how difficult these snakes are to control.
"Burmese pythons are hard to find due to their cryptic coloration and secretive behaviors, and their low detection probability is a major challenge to effective python control and research," the agency noted.
Get TCD's free newsletters for easy tips, smart advice, and a chance to earn $5,000 toward home upgrades. To see more stories like this one, change your Google preferences here.
