“The mercury biomagnifies as it gets passed through the food chain. The more pythons are integrated into an aquatic food web, the likelier they are to have mercury,” Rumbold said.

It was a readily available, not-too-dangerous food source. It's always been part of the diet," William Kern, a professor at the University of Florida, told USA TODAY back in 2020.

Aaron Mann has earned recognition in South Florida for capturing 87 Burmese pythons, an invasive species threatening the delicate ecosystem of the Everglades. These giant snakes prey on native ...