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The recent capture of a 17-foot, 198-pound python in Florida generated national headlines, mostly because it was the second-heaviest python ever caught in the Sunshine State. The main image showed five men posing with the dead python, which, as one meteorologist remarked, boasted a head “the size of a football.” Such captures are indeed noteworthy. Burmese pythons are highly invasive and threaten native wildlife. They do not belong in Florida and the state encourages hunting and removal. But what people rarely see, because the swamp-dwelling reptiles are nocturnal, are giant live pythons roaming in broad daylight.

The Weekly Gardening Thread is a weekly gathering of folks that love soil, seeds and plants of all kinds. From complete newbies that are looking to start that first potted plant, to gardeners with some acreage, to Master Gardener level and beyond, we would love to hear from you. If you have specific question about a plant/problem you are having, please remember to state the Growing Zone where you are located. This thread is a non-political respite. No matter what, you won’t be flamed, and the only dumb question is the one that isn’t asked. It is impossible to hijack...

A Cincinnati Zoo & Botanical Garden employee was hospitalized Thursday after she was bitten by a highly venomous rattlesnake. The eastern diamondback rattlesnake snapped at the employee around 4 p.m. in a “behind the scenes area” not open to guests, the zoo’s communications director Michelle Curley told the Cincinnati Enquirer. The unnamed staffer — who works in the reptile house — was taken to the hospital in stable condition. She had only received a partial bite and did not require antivenom, Curley said, adding her prognosis is good.

Scientists in South America have made a remarkable discovery just in time for the spooky season. They have identified a new species of wasp that possesses a rather macabre method of hunting and feeding. These vampiric vespids inject their larvae beneath the skin of their prey, causing a slow and agonizing demise from the inside out.

TWO people have been seriously injured after they were attacked by a wild boar in Navarra’s Ollo Valley region. As reported by the 112 Emergency Services, the incident occurred at around 12:45 pm this Sunday, October 1, in the popular Manantial de Arteta hiking area of Ultzurrun municipality. The coordinating centre immediately deployed an appliance from the Cordovilla Fire Brigade to the location, according to a statement from the Government of Navarra. They were joined by members of the Fire Technical Rescue Group, a rescue helicopter, a medical helicopter, two medical ambulances and Foral Police patrol vehicles. They both suffered...

A remarkable incident unfolded in southern Australia when a farmer, Frank Pao-Ling Tsai, stumbled upon a creature believed to be locally extinct for over a century. Tsai, a dedicated trout farmer residing in Beachport, South Australia, was jolted awake by a commotion emanating from his chicken coop in the early morning of Tuesday, September 26. Intrigued and concerned, he swiftly ventured outside to investigate the source of the disturbance. To his astonishment, Tsai discovered a peculiar spotted creature amidst the chaos, accompanied by the unfortunate demise of one of his chickens. Initially perplexed by the unfamiliar sight, Tsai recounted his...

Yellowstone today is on high alert for “touron” behavior, but in the Roaring ’20s it was an all-out petting zoo. Attractions included the popular feeding of the bears -- a nightly dinner show that became more popular than Old Faithful. Hardly a day has gone by this summer season where a tourist in Yellowstone National Park hasn’t been caught doing something illegal, dangerous, stupid — or all three. Facebook page Yellowstone National Park: Invasion of The Idiots! has become the TMZ of the NPS (National Park Service). Public shaming hasn’t seemed to slow offenders much. Healthy fines do not appear...

Global wildlife trafficking is on the rise, adding a dimension to transnational crime and increasing the risk that U.S. corporations could unwittingly become entangled in the illicit trade. A new white paper by Moody’s Analytics highlights the growing risk for private enterprise, and the growing involvement of transnational crime in wildlife smuggling. “Brands sometimes are involved in supply chains and they might not truly know who their supplier is,” said Richard Graham, Third Party Risk Management lead at Moody’s Analytics. “If you’re doing business with someone that is a supplier that is involved in some sort of wildlife trafficking, via...

Once in a lifetime shot. Park ranger uses a shotgun to separate and save two antler locked bucks.

Talk about pulling above your weight… Back in 2009, AT&T California was perplexed when one of their transmission towers suddenly wasn’t emitting signal anymore. Its strength had been weakening for a little bit, but it appeared the antenna had finally kicked and needed some maintenance. When they arrived, technicians were surprised to see the antenna cover bulging, apparently stuffed with, well… they didn’t know, but it was obviously a lot of something. When they inspected it closer, it turned out the antenna had mysteriously been completely filled with an insane amount of acorns. In fact, around 300 POUNDS of acorns...

A plausible fourth failure of a defensive firing of a handgun against a bear has been discovered. The fourth incident was found in the incidents discovered in the Freedom of Information Act (FOIA) request for a polar bear and human conflict database. The incident occurred near Churchill, Canada, as part of two incidents from October 19 to October 26, 1986. Bear spray had recently become available. There are two separate incidents. The first involves bear spray, which marked the bear. The second involved “cracker shells” and a .44 caliber handgun, probably a .44 magnum. From the FOIA, incident 41:October 19-26,...

A Pennsylvania poacher who allegedly killed a Pittsburgh suburb’s beloved bald eagle later turned themselves in — but locals are fuming at the lack of information on the suspect from authorities. “The killing of our beloved eagle had a major impact on the entire community,” Cherry Valley Lakeview Estates resident Linda Carnevali told The Post Saturday. “We cannot fathom why anyone would want to harm our eagles and take it to the extreme of killing one.” The eagle, who Carnevali and her husband Raymond called “Sam” after the popular character “Sam the Eagle” in Disney’s Muppet Vision 3D, was allegedly...

ALBUQUERQUE, N.M. (AP) — U.S. wildlife managers on Friday proposed federal protections for a rare lizard found only in parts of one of the world’s most lucrative oil and natural gas basins. The U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service said the dunes sagebrush lizard should be listed as an endangered species due to the ongoing threats of energy development, mining and climate change in southeastern New Mexico and West Texas. The agency will be collecting public comments on the proposed listing through Sept. 1. Environmentalists have been pushing for protections for the reptile for decades, resulting in petitions and lawsuits. There...

Two male platypuses have been caught on camera fighting for territory in Tasmania, Australia. Esme Atkinson, who filmed the video, said the animals were “ferocious” and showed no signs of stopping after 20 minutes. One expert told the BBC the male platypuses, which have venomous spurs,

An otter with dreams of being a surf champion shocked Santa Cruz beach-goers when it swam right up to a group of surfers, picked out a board and went for a ride. The incredibly anthropomorphic encounter happened on Sunday at Cowell Beach near the boardwalk. Mark Woodward, who goes by Native Santa Cruz on Twitter, posted photos and video of the moment. Woodward wrote that the otter sniffed around a number of boards before settling on its favorite, a blue one. Advertisement “He was going from board to board and seemed calm and friendly even as he was a few...

The lobster was caught in Casco Bay by Capt. Gregg Turner. The odds of catching an orange lobster are about one-in-30-million. By comparison, Blue lobsters are considered to be a one-in-two-million finds, and split-colored lobsters are a one-in-50-million catch.A brightly colored orange lobster found off the coast of Maine is now part of a collection of multicolored crustaceans that call the University of New England home. According to the university, the one-in-30 million catch was found Friday by Captain Gregg Turner and his crew in Casco Bay, Maine. Most lobsters are known to be a mottled brown color, but according...

YELLOWSTONE NATIONAL PARK, Wyo. - With the summer tourism season kicking off, Yellowstone National Park is reminding visitors not to disturb wildlife, even if the animal looks to be distressed or in need of help. Park rangers said over the Memorial Day weekend, visitors placed a newborn elk into their car and drove it to the local police station. The elk later ran off, and its condition is currently unknown with an investigation underway. ... Last month, a visitor was seen taking a selfie dangerously close to a bison while visiting Biscuit Basin in Yellowstone National Park. Video captured on...

In a rare and hilarious sighting, a giant snapping turtle was caught on video in the Chicago River. This video is going viral and for good reason! This isn't your average snapping turtle. This big boy has been dubbed "Chonkosaurus," and the guy who caught it on camera just made my day. Joey Santore was kayaking with his friend last weekend when they spotted the turtle sunbathing on some rusty chains and rotting logs – in pure bliss and relaxation. Santore was stunned, so he started filming, and his commentary was just perfect. Look at this guy. We got a...

Congratulations on your new panda cub, Washington! You’re prolonging the existence of a hopeless and wasteful species the world should’ve given up on long ago. I understand the impulse. Some people find them cute. Pandas don’t have much of a habitat left in the wild, thanks to heedless human development. And zoos imagine they’re doing the right thing, pulling in some extra visitors while helping conservation efforts. But the first test of a species’ worthiness for conservation should be some instinct for self-preservation. And pandas fail objectively. First, their breeding habits don’t suggest a species brimming with vitality. Pandas at...

If someone calls you a weirdo they're probably just jellous.If you go down to the intertidal shrimp pond today, you’re sure of a big surprise – which is certainly what researchers in Hong Kong received when they discovered a completely unknown species of box jellyfish, the first species of box jelly ever to be found in Chinese waters. The class Cubozoa, most commonly known as box jellyfish, has around 50 known species including the world’s most venomous jellyfish, the Australian box jellyfish. This class is subsequently split into two easy-to-tell-apart orders: the carybdeids which have only one tentacle per pedalium...