A resident of the Cutler Bay neighborhood in Miami-Dade County discovered a Burmese python nesting beneath a sidewalk while walking along Southwest 216th Street, noticing movement under the concrete.
The discovery, documented by NBC Miami, takes place during the peak nesting season for this invasive species in South Florida and highlights the extent to which the Burmese python has adapted to the urban environment.
The resident who alerted about the snake was identified as DJ Danny Easy, who contacted contractor Guillermo Tapanes from the Python Removal Program of the South Florida Water Management District.
Tapanes arrived at the site and extracted the snake along with approximately 20 eggs that had already been laid under the concrete slab.
The images posted on Instagram show the white, leathery-textured eggs arranged on a cloth on the ground, surrounded by dry leaves and dirt, along with the tools used to extract them.
During the capture, the python bit the man on the index finger, an injury that was visible in his social media posts alongside the text “Nesting python removed!” and “20 eggs under the sidewalk!”
In the photographs, he can be seen holding the snake coiled around his shoulders, while neighbors from the neighborhood, including children, approached to watch the operation.
"They use our waterways and canal systems. They are very buoyant, and they use them to move around. The one I found under the sidewalk is proof of how adaptable they are," Tapanes stated.
Although 20 eggs may seem like a considerable amount, the hunter explained that it is actually a small number for the species. He recalled the case of a 14-foot python found with 53 eggs, and another instance of a female nearly 18 feet long that had about 200 fully developed eggs inside her.
The eggs found in Cutler Bay will not hatch until early fall, so early removal is crucial for controlling the population of the species.
Tapanes noted that so far in May, he has captured 23 pythons, and since he started as a contractor, he has trapped more than 100 specimens. "We have seen snakes near neighborhood lakes. For them, a cat or a dog can be a meal if they are hungry," he warned.
Florida state law requires that all captured Burmese pythons be euthanized following the standards of the American Veterinary Medical Association. Citizens can report sightings through the IveGot1 app.
The Burmese python arrived in Florida through the pet trade in the 1970s and 1980s. Hurricane Andrew in 1992 destroyed a breeding facility in the Homestead area and released more individuals into the natural environment, accelerating their expansion.
The Florida Python Challenge 2026, an annual competition aimed at controlling the species, is scheduled for July 10 to 19, and in its 2025 edition, a record of 294 pythons was eliminated with the participation of 934 people from 30 states and Canada.
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