Burmese pythons are inadvertently helping rats dominate parts of the Everglades in Florida by wiping out their traditional predators, researchers have found.

A new study by the University of Florida shows that pythons in the Everglades are killing off predatory mammals such as foxes and bobcats and otters, but not depleting ample cotton rat populations.

Burmese pythons are feasting on foxes and bobcats in Florida, leaving few predators left to contain the state's rat population, which has exploded.

This is a giant Burmese Python digesting three rats. This is the first time the complete digestion cycle of a Burmese Python has been visualized with modern MRI and CT imaging techniques.

Share In Depth › Nature Features › Environment and Nature Pythons join the rat race Across Australia's north the first heavy rains of the oncoming wet season are triggering a unique migration ...

How to Kill Rats for a Ball Python. The ball python, a snake native to west Africa, makes an interesting and unconventional pet for those who enjoy a challenge. Unlike common pets such as dogs and ...

But pythons can eat their whole body weight if Dr. Secor has enough rats on hand. In those cases, their metabolic rate can soar by 4,400 percent, the highest ever recorded for an animal.

An examination of the digestive systems of 104 Burmese pythons caught in the Everglades turns up a vast range of wildlife, including deer, alligators and birds.