A giant python was hiding beneath a Miami-Dade sidewalk. A hunter found 20 eggs
A morning walk in Cutler Bay led to the discovery of a Burmese python and a nest containing 20 eggs hidden beneath a sidewalk. A local resident spotted the invasive reptile before an experienced hunter captured it ahead of the hatchlings emerging in the residential area.
Eyi Danielo was walking along Southwest 216th Street in Cutler Bay, Miami-Dade County, last Saturday when he noticed half of the snake’s body hidden beneath a sidewalk while the other half moved along a fence.
“Oh, that’s a snake right there,” he said before getting closer and reacting in alarm: “That is a huge ass snake! It’s a python, man. That’s crazy.”
Danielo later posted a video of the reptile on social media titled “Life in South Florida.”
After spotting the large snake, he contacted the Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission (FWC) to alert authorities.
Guillermo Tapanes, a contractor with the South Florida Water Management District’s (SFWMD) python removal program, was sent to capture the reptile.
Hunter bitten while removing python
Tapanes suffered a bite to his right hand while removing the python from beneath the sidewalk.
He also removed about 20 eggs the python had been nesting on.
The hunter later showed the snake to residents who had gathered in the area to watch the capture.
“In addition to protecting our native wildlife, helping our neighbors and the community is also a fundamental part of this incredible work that I have the privilege to be part of,” Tapanes said.
Read more: An unexpected predator is raiding Burmese python nests in the Everglades
Why Burmese pythons are a threat in Florida
Adult pythons have high reproductive potential, with females capable of laying between 50 and 100 eggs per year, according to the FWC.
Their mating season in Florida occurs mainly between December and April, while nesting typically takes place in late spring and hatching occurs between July and August.
Capturing female pythons and destroying their eggs is considered essential to slowing the spread of the invasive species, one of the main goals of the programs implemented across South Florida to eradicate Burmese pythons, which have caused significant damage to wildlife in the Everglades ecosystem.
From 2000 through 2025, more than 23,000 Burmese pythons were removed from Florida’s natural environment. The invasive snakes prey on native birds, mammals and reptiles, disrupting the food chain.
This story was originally published May 27, 2026 at 12:12 PM.
