Ouch! Snake hunter explains how it feels to be bitten by a Burmese python

Yahoo

07-04-2025

The News-Press and Naples Daily News recently caught up with Amy Siewe, famously known as the Python Huntress. Siewe recently gave a lecture at J.N. Ding Darling National Wildlife Refuge on Sanibel. We asked her questions about the invasive Burmese Python for this special video series.
Siewe became a python hunter in Florida after leaving a successful career in real estate. She was one of the first 100 hunters the state hired to hunt the invasive Burmese python, which is threatening Florida's native wildlife mostly in South Florida, but there are concerns the snake could migrate further north.
More: Dancing with a python: Florida 'huntress' used quick moves to snag this squirrely snake
Today's question focuses on the python's bite. Siewe has been bitten numerous times and we wanted to know what it feels like. Note: Pythons are not venomous.
For the answer, watch the video at the top of this page.
In Palm Beach County, 69 Burmese pythons have been captured since 2006, according to the Early Detection and Distribution Mapping System, or EDDMapS. In addition, four have been found dead, and 24 sightings have been reported. Countless more of the invasive snakes likely have lurked undetected or unreported.
🐍 Read the full story here: Pythons are adapting, evolving and slithering around these parts of Florida
Burmese pythons have been a persistent problem in Florida for years, significantly disrupting the local ecosystem. These invasive snakes have few natural predators, allowing their population to grow rapidly.
The issue has become so widespread that people have turned to python hunting as a job. One of the most notable events is the annual Burmese Python Challenge, where participants compete for a grand prize by capturing as many pythons as possible.
🐍 Read the full story here: Python hot spot discovered in Palm Beach County: 5 things to know on invasive snake
Diamond Walker is a journalist at The Palm Beach Post, part of the USA TODAY Florida Network. You can reach her at [e-mail]. Help support our journalism. Subscribe today
Note to readers: The News-Press and Naples Daily News recently caught up with Amy Siewe, famously known as the Python Huntress. Siewe gave a lecture at J.N. Ding Darling National Wildlife Refuge on Sanibel. We asked her questions about the invasive Burmese Python for this special video series.More: Dancing with a python: Florida 'huntress' used quick moves to snag this squirrely snakeToday's question focuses on snake gender: What is more challenging for a python hunter to catch? A male or female python?For the answer, watch the video at the top of this page.
This article originally appeared on Palm Beach Post: Snake hunter explains feeling of bite from Florida Burmese python