Florida Professor Finds Bloodsucking Worms Inside Dead Rattlesnake

MIAMI (CBSMiami) – A professor at a Florida university found something alarming while examining a deceased pygmy rattlesnake last year.

Live, parasitic worms began to emerge from the dead snake's mouth.

Dr. Terence Farrell, a teacher of biology at Stetson University in DeLand, Florida, said in a statement that the parasites "have never been found in pygmy rattlesnakes before."

After that, Dr. Farrell and his students tested three pygmy rattlesnakes and found the same parasites in each one.

Further research determined that the parasites appeared to be from southeast Asia, which indicated a possible connection to Burmese pythons.

In Florida, Burmese pythons are an invasive species, which means they are causing ecological harm to an area where they are not native.