A Burmese python 13 and a half feet long moved into a Florida zoo yesterday . The Jacksonville Zoo and Gardens newest exhibit featured some of the nation 's largest living snakes to celebrate it 's new 48 foot , life-sized replica of the prehistoric Titanoboa snake - the heaviest and longest snake ever discovered . Though it might have looked tiny next to its ancestor , the zoo 's Burmese python was no small thing , clocking in at 112 pounds . The currently unnamed female python is on loan to the zoo until September . A Burmese python 13 and a half feet long made an appearance at the Jacksonville Zoo and Gardens newest exhibit yesterday that featured some of the nation 's largest living snakes . Guests could take pictures and touch the 112 pound reptile . The Burmese python can reach more than 17 feet and weigh 400 pounds . Dan Maloney , the zoo 's deputy director of animal care and conservation , told Daily Mail Online that the snake was 'pretty large ' for a Burmese python but that she had a 'great temperament ' . 'She 's a nice snake and she 's gorgeous and a pretty thing as can be , ' he said , adding that her relaxed mood will make her great for school visits . Maloney said the python is fed frozen rabbits that are thawed out . The zoo 's snakes are never fed live food in order to protect their safety . 'Its much easier for quality control , ' he said . 'And live food , even rabbits , can severely bite the face of a snake . They 're also trying to avoid being dinner . ' A rock python , an anaconda and an eastern diamondback rattlesnake , the largest rattlesnake and the heaviest venomous snake in the Americas , have also moved into the exhibit . The Burmese python is well-known in the state , where its hardly been harmless . A recent U.S. Geological Survey and National Park Service study found that there are 150,000 pythons in the Everglades National Park , according to the Washington Post . According to Maloney , the leading theory is that the Burmese python first came to the Everglades in 1992 , after Hurricane Andrew blew through the state - and a pet breeding center . The exhibit was celebrating the zoo 's new 48 ft long , life-sized replica of the prehistoric Titanoboa snake - the heaviest and longest snake ever discovered . 'Its believed either people could n't take care of them anymore , released them , or the hurricane destroyed the facilities and liberated the animals , ' Maloney said . The Burmese python has become what is known as an invasive species , wreaking havoc on the environment 's native species as they continue to spread . Native to Southeast Asia , the python has quickly spread throughout the Everglades as females can lay up to 100 eggs . The non-venomous snakes , who kill and eat their prey by constriction , have decimated the park 's mammal population , consuming more than 99 percent of raccoons and 88 percent of bobcats , according to the Washington Post . Although pythons can reach more than 17 feet in length and weigh up to 400 pounds , they are not a major threat to humans . Instead they 'd rather feast on small mammals and birds , but are known to eat deers and alligators as well . An eastern diamondback rattlesnake featured in the Titanoboa exhibit , the largest rattlesnake . Unlike the Burmese python , which kills its prey by constriction , this rattlesnake is venomous . More than 2,000 pythons have been removed from the Everglades since 2002 , according to the U.S. National Park Service . Pythons captured in the park are typically euthanized . Maloney said the zoo , which carries a rock python that was caught in the Everglades , tries to provide homes for wild snakes if they can - but there often is n't the space to house such large animals . And the snakes are n't easy to find . The National Park Service said trapping methods are often ineffective , meaning the reptiles must be detected and removed by search and hand . The state even hosted the 'Florida Python Challenge ' , offering a reward to the team who captured and killed the most pythons in the month-long event . Only 50 were captured . But for now , Maloney said the zoo wants to celebrate snakes and their history . 'We think of snakes as being positive members of the animal kingdom , ' he said . 'We ’ re celebrating snakes by showcasing not only the big snakes living on the planet today but the biggest snake that ever existed . ' A worker at the Florida zoo adds the eastern diamondback rattlesnake to the exhibit .
The currently unnamed female python will be at the Jacksonville Zoo and Gardens until September . Featured in zoo 's newest exhibit featuring some of nation 's largest living snakes . Exhibit is celebrating the zoo 's new 48ft life-sized replica of the prehistoric Titanoboa snake - the heaviest and longest snake ever discovered . Comment: