State wildlife officials plan to euthanize the 12-foot, 80 pound reticulated albino python found near a Siesta Key dock earlier this week. 

  • FWC to euthanize 12-foot python found in Siesta Key
  • Necropsy to be performed on snake to see what it has been eating 
  • Resident saw body of python floating near his dock
  • FWC: no evidence of this species living in Florida

Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission officials plan to perform a necropsy on the snake to see what it has been eating. 

Resident Joe Volpe said he received a call from a neighbor alerting him to a large reptile in the water by his dock

When he went to investigate, he saw the body of a large python floating in the water with its head submerged. Volpe said he initially thought the snake was dead. 

But he only realized the magnitude of the situation when he placed the snake down by the dock. It stretched to more than 4 yards and weighed about 80 pounds.

Then it started to move, and Volpe put it into a closed container before calling a wildlife rescue expert for help.

Florida Fish and Wildlife officials say there's no evidence of this species of python -- called "reticulated pythons" -- living in the state, so it's likely a pet that either escaped or was released. 

In Florida, a special permit is required to own a reticulated python, and with that permit comes the requirement to notify FWC if one escapes.